6
Use the ABCDE Method Continually
If you’re thinking on paper, you’re already in the minority. The more effort you put into planning and setting priorities before you start, the more important things you’ll do and the faster you’ll do them. Using the ABCDE Method can, all by itself, make you one of the most efficient and effective people in your field.
1. What do you have to do today? Take five minutes to write down every thing, from main priorities to things that wouldn’t kill you if they slipped through the cracks.
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2. Before you do anything on your list, prioritize! Return to your list and mark each item according to the ABCDE Method:
A—Mark each item that is very important and must be done today—the real frogs in your life—with an A. If you have more than one A task, prioritize them (A1, A2, etc.).
B—Mark any task that you should do—meaning something that would have minor consequences if it didn’t get finished—with a B. The B’s are the tadpoles that might result in inconvenience, but won’t cause any major damage.
C—C’s are the “nice-to-dos.” It might be nice to take a break with a colleague or get some of your personal tasks done during work hours, but they’re not really necessary—they don’t affect your work life at all.
D—Delegate, delegate, delegate. Anything you don’t need to do—that someone else could just as easily finish—mark with a D. Doing so will free up more time for you to knock out those A’s.
E—Mark every thing that you can eliminate altogether with an E. Maybe you keep doing certain things out of habit rather than for any real reason. What ever the case, if it doesn’t make any real difference, eliminate it.
More often than she’d care to admit, Shane found herself glancing up to see that a whole hour had passed while she scrolled through her unending Twitter feed. Not only was this time poorly spent, but the constant barrage of media made her anxious, contributing to a general sense of unease. She decided to eliminate all social media time that wasn’t directly related to boosting her brand or productivity.