Jason Womack: Raising the bar. How to work smarter, think bigger

Rated the book

Didn't like the book :(

First, there are sooo many platitudes wandering from book to book on self-development. The book gives the impression of being deeply secondary :(

Secondly, the book is somehow very fragmented, from "fragments". It seems that some posts / notes from the blog are collected and a book is somehow molded from them.

The author has worked as a GTD consultant for D. Allen for 6 years, so it is clear where his ideas grow from. But if GTD is a rather harmonious and logical system of time management and self-organization, then this book doesn’t even smell of any system: (Moreover, if you don’t know what GTD is in advance, then you won’t get a clear idea about this system from the book: (

Thirdly, the book is short, but the author managed to pour a lot of "water" into it. Mostly in the form of a description of your personal life - your daily routine, your sports, etc. Everything is written rather dryly, no image of a "lyrical hero" :))) appears before my eyes, so for me personally it was deadly boring to read all these details of someone else's life :(

From the pros...

1) The "fragmentation" of the book is not only its shortcoming, but also its strength. The book is even oversaturated with some small "chips", secrets, subtleties (etc.) of self-organization.
A connoisseur in this "placer" will surely find 2-3 new "chips" for himself. For a beginner, most likely, such a variety of tips only disorientates. He will begin to apply EVERYTHING at once, and it is unlikely that this will be of any use ...

For example:
- What do you have time to do (important, paramount) before 10.00?
- What do you manage to do (100%) in 15 minutes?
- Why/why are you doing what you are doing (currently)? etc.

run time = goal X (methods + energy) - interference

Jason Womack also writes that there are only 4 resources of self-organization: time, energy, tools/methods, and focus (i.e. the ability to tune out interference).

And I counted quite a lot of such "coincidences" in the book :) M.b. that's why it was boring for me to read the book - everything is already familiar ...

Conclusion:
- it is better for a beginner time manager NOT to read, because the book is very messy
- an experienced time manager - read!
- advanced :)) time manager - look diagonally, find a couple of "chips" for yourself

Rated the book

If you remove all the “water” from the book, then its volume will be reduced by 70 percent.
Jason Womack's book isn't the only one that suffers from an overabundance of verbal constructions. But most of the other books are logically more structured, and this one is like a well-blended Italian pasta. Personally, when reading, I had the feeling of tearing through the jungle while walking in circles. Constant repetitions, constant references to the numbers of previous chapters (“remember how we talked about the role of the social network in Chapter 5?”), constant announcements of future chapters indicating their numbers. Once again, “In THIS chapter you will learn ...” and then water-water, then “THIS chapter will show you ...”, again water-water and ... the end of THIS chapter, bewilderment and the question “what was it? »

A few interesting things come up. There are, as sergei_kalinin already noted in his review, interesting questions for coaching. There is an idea “what can be done before 10 am”, there is a rather interesting chapter on feedback, a couple of practical tips on networking.

But it's all spices in a big bowl of spaghetti, made up of something like self-talk, repeating platitudes, and "read on please. I'm getting ready to finally talk about when I finally say the point."

I travel the world advising individual clients and speaking to large groups of top executives on the topic of productivity and keeping pace. I teach them to manage their professional goals in the same way. In this chapter, I will share with you the strategies and recommendations that will help you work more efficiently, get better results, and consistently achieve more, faster than ever before.

Jason Womek, a professional personal performance coach, shares how to make the best even better.

Dozens of books have been written on how to set the right goal for yourself and get results from work by managing your own motivation and time. And, probably, once a year (if not a quarter) new and new works on this topic are published. But how to build a process of self-improvement when visible progress has already been made, the habit of working in a certain rhythm has been developed? About this in his book "Raising the bar. How to work more efficiently, think bigger and do more" said coach (and part-time triathlete) Jason Womack.

Jason Womack (now the head and founder of his own coaching company) began his coaching career with David Allen, the author of the worldwide popular performance management methodology Getting Things Done. His book, which deals with how to control what is happening in all areas of life and make the most efficient use of time, has become a bestseller. Wumek, in order to present the technique to clients, of course, thoroughly studied it. And I was inspired enough to develop my "How to make the best even better" even more broad profile. The book Raising the Bar is dedicated to her.

Wumek's work will help some readers achieve long-awaited success, others - to consolidate their achievements, and others - to become even more successful. The book is more intended for the third category of readers - Womek writes a lot about overcoming the "delusions of a successful person", improving what worked so well until recently (in the field of time management, ideas and projects). "Raising the Bar" is a book about the inevitable for any successful person to reach a new level.

What worked up to a certain stage may stop working for more complex purposes - this is natural. That's why Wumek devotes several chapters of the book to how to get rid of once necessary, but now time-consuming and energy-consuming habits - and how to find new, productive and useful ones. Indeed, according to the author of the book, even minimal changes for the better can significantly increase work efficiency.

Jason Womack pays a lot of attention not only to time management, but also to three other limited resources - energy, attention and the tools used to complete tasks. The book contains detailed exercises for controlling these limited resources. In general, Raising the Bar is a book for, so to speak, active reading. You need to constantly work with the book - complete tasks, analyze and think about the results, modify the external environment for effective work. To make the best even better, you need to turn to self-education and networking as you read. A very important part of the book is about feedback. There are a lot of books for managers on how to give feedback, but not much has been written about how and when to get it right.

Of course, for the best to become even better, for ideal days to become reality, it is necessary to carefully work and study what can help this. The technique described in Raising the Bar has already helped dozens of top managers reach new heights - including Jason Womack himself.

I adhere to a proven rule: to allocate 15-30 minutes for each activity. It is these periods of time that allow you to stay focused, minimize forced breaks and work efficiently.
Suppose you have the following items on your to-do list:
Plan a training session for high-potential leaders scheduled for March 7–12.
Discuss staffing in the context of next year's budgeting.
Resolve staffing issues.
Try to write the same list of tasks for the next week, but use verbs for smaller actions, for example:
View feedback from participants in the Leadership Development Training over the past year.
Analyze the existing staffing and budget for the current year.
Call Sam in Human Resources and set up an hour and a half hiring meeting.
I like to surround myself with people-verbs. Why? Because in a meeting, on the phone, or in a casual face-to-face conversation, that's the kind of person who'll think about it and say, “You know, Jason, that's a great idea. So what do you intend undertake? The book you hold in your hands is a direct result of the influence of my mentor Jim Polk, who once asked me this question.
For several months I discussed with him this book (noun), which at that time was exclusively in my imagination as an idea. Finally one morning over breakfast at the Emporium Café, Jim said to me, “Enough of the talk that you make with the idea of writing it? This question changed everything. Raising the bar book. How to Work More Efficiently, Think Bigger, and Do More” came to light only due to the fact that I formulated in the form of verbs what I used to think about in terms of nouns. Performing actions expressed by verbs allowed me to accelerate the implementation of this mission.
If you are working with (or for) a human verb, try the following five-day experiment. At the end of each day, present him with a short list of what you done. Try not to use only nouns for projects or activities you have worked on. Instead, clearly state and emphasize which actions you have taken to perform the corresponding task. For example, instead of saying "I was on Case XYZ," say "I Meets with Pat from XYZ and made a deal, which we have been working on for about a month."
An action oriented person will understand the importance of the bigger picture and appreciate the fact that steps are being taken each day to achieve the corresponding task.

Working with verbs and nouns: it's your turn

Are you ready to experiment? Take a piece of paper and think about both styles of work. Even if you prefer one of them, it is extremely important that you learn how to easily, effectively and efficiently apply both methods (if you consider yourself a responsible person and strive to develop your strengths, as well as achieve certain goals in your professional and personal life).
Set a timer for 15 minutes and during this time try to fill out a blank sheet of paper by hand. On one side of it, list all the tasks that you think about - in other words, nouns. It can be anything: an upcoming meeting, an upcoming trip, a book you've read, etc. Once you've completed one side of the sheet, take a break and reflect.
After 15 minutes, turn the page and for each item on the list, indicate what action you are ready to take as soon as possible (between 24 and 96 hours) to begin the corresponding task. Even if it's big enough (like your promotion, your life's purpose, a vacation somewhere in the islands, or choosing a college for your child), still list only one action that you absolutely can. execute In the next few days. If you frame your upcoming work in terms of action, by the middle of next week you may well be well on your way to your most important tasks! Here's What Happens When You Take Full Responsibility To Work more efficient, think bigger and keep up more!

Make the most of limited resources

In Chapter 2, I talk about the importance of maintaining an optimal pace when setting and achieving goals. In particular, I warn readers not to try to go too far and too fast; at the same time, I strongly recommend that you monitor when forward movement becomes too slow. However, for now, I need to tell you something about your most valuable resources, as well as what limitations you may face when trying to make the best even better.
You probably know the following short dialogue between Alice and the Cheshire Cat from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

“Tell me, please, where should I go from here?”
– Where do you want to go? - answered the cat.
"I don't care..." Alice said.
“Then it doesn’t matter where you go,” said the Cat.
- ... just to get somewhere, added Alice.
"You're bound to get somewhere," said the Cat. “You just have to walk long enough.

I guess you don't look like Alice. And you know where you're going. That is why the more clearly you define your destination, the easier it will be for you to make decisions about actions on the way to it. Having made a decision, it is necessary to allocate your limited resources as efficiently as possible, that is, the four most important components of productivity: time, energy, focus and instruments.
All these resources are limited - sooner or later they are exhausted, and they must be restored. The way you use them entirely depends on what exactly you can do throughout the day.
There is no doubt that you have already applied one or another time management method. Whether it's prioritizing your to-do list for the day or dividing your to-do list into time blocks, chances are these time management techniques are nothing new to you!
Presumably, you have already figured out when during the day you have the highest and lowest energy levels. Most people know what time of day is most productive for them - morning, afternoon or evening.
Suppose you can focus at their MITs and not be distracted to complete the most important tasks scheduled for the day.
Lastly, you probably have your own instruments or the productivity system you use to make important tasks easier for yourself.
Now, as you read this book, you have the opportunity to analyze the four pillars of productivity in the order in which I describe them below. This will allow you to more clearly define your role in improving the best, in particular in how to work more efficiently. In my coaching programs, we always start with the tools, as they form the basis of performance.
Instruments. There are many systems, applications and tools available to help you increase your productivity. Do you have a “buy it now and see if it works for me” approach? Do you have folders on your shelves? Have you already downloaded most of the productivity apps available on the web? Have you been attending seminars and trainings hoping you'd find the "magic key" to time management and productivity?
Of course, knowing how to use the full potential of these tools will help you significantly increase your efficiency. If you have a diary or notepad near you, open it to a blank page. If not, just grab a blank piece of paper and a pen. Write today's date at the top, and below: "At this stage, I use the following tools and systems:". (Keep this list handy as we will need it later.)
A little further on, I'll explain how to save time and make the most of the resources you have, whether it's paper, digital, or a combination of the two. For now, suffice it to say that mastering one or two new features of the tools you use will allow you to develop a more competent approach to the implementation of the tasks before you.
Attention. You are able to be interested and concentrate on something specific for as long as you can - but only until something distracts you. I mean the period of concentration, given the fact that each person has his own limits. Some people can sit and focus on something for several hours, while others get up and leave in just a few minutes.
Think about how many times over the past day someone distracted you from work or you simply forgot about what you were going to do. (Have you ever had something similar happen: you go from one room to another to take something there, but as you go, you completely forget what you were going for? That's how quickly we sometimes lose focus!)
The stability of attention depends on what you have time to do in a certain period of time. Analyze various areas of your life: personal interests, work, family, health, finances, career, leisure, etc. And answer the following questions: where do you think you will be after some time, from six months to a year and a half? What will you do? Who will you spend more (or less) time with? (By the way, this is the best period for setting goals: it’s short enough to feel momentum and long enough to see meaningful change.) the best.
Energy. You can either be a lark or an owl. (Do you have a spouse or boss with opposite qualities?) Depending on this, at certain times of the day you are either the most or the least capable, which you know very well. The most powerful step you can take is to analyze what time of day and where it is most convenient for you to work in order to understand when to work on important projects. Aligning tools, focus and energy is one of the most effective ways to save time on the job.
Time. I advise you to somehow highlight the following sentence for yourself: “There are only 96 segments of 15 minutes in a day, and only 168 hours in a week.”
Did this fact make the same impression on you as it did on me? When I realized that our time was so limited, I began to use it in a very different way.
I suggest you do the exercise. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Right now. Come on, go ahead and do it. And then continue reading this chapter. When the time is up and the alarm sounds, think about this: This time period was about 1% of your day. How well did you manage to focus during this period? Were you able to read page after page with concentration? (If so, you should have read 15 to 20 pages.)
Keep a timer handy for the next few days. I firmly believe that time is the most limited of the four resources (time, energy, attention, and tools) and that it is the resource we have the least control over in many cases. Therefore, you need to objectify the time - I mean that you should be able to watch how it expires. In Chapter 3, I'll introduce you to specific techniques to help you manage, control, and make the most of your time.
Did you notice that I first listed these resources in one order, but then talked about their impact on productivity in another order? I have a very specific reason for this.
I have spent many years studying productivity and time management. Over the years, I have often met people who complain: “I wish I had more time” or “I don’t have one more hour in the day.” When I first talk to a client on the phone, I ask them the following four questions (in that order) to get a better idea of what they are doing, as well as to determine which aspects of their work should be emphasized during the coaching program. These are the questions:

1. What tools and systems do you use to do your job?
2. How do you focus all your attention on the goal that you set for yourself at each stage of work?
3. When do you have the most energy to be productive and stay positive, proactive?
4. When do you have time to work steadily with maximum focus and motivation?
The point is that if you analyze these four resources in that order, you will be able to use time blocks more efficiently, perhaps even get more done with less time, energy, and effort.
So why did I ask you to set a timer for 15 minutes? This is about 1% of the time, which is a day. (Remember, there are 1440 minutes in a day, so 15 minutes is about 1%.) I'll cover this in more detail in Chapter 3. Here, I just wanted to show how little time it can take you to get further important work. As my colleague Michael Stanier teaches, “more great things!” . One thing I know for sure is that when you get the most out of your tools, focus, energy, and time, you'll be able to do more of the things that matter.

Move on

By clearly defining your objective goal (perhaps your ideal day!), you automatically begin to improve the status quo and can continue to move in the right direction. When you think about what you are striving for, discuss your dreams with someone, analyze your efforts, and write down your goals, you are significantly closer to achieving them. Focusing on a specific area is very important for two reasons: firstly, it allows you to see more opportunities and, secondly, it allows you to narrow your focus. The better you see the direction of the movement, the easier it will be for you to find ideas and data that will bring you closer to achieving the desired results. Remember the words of Abraham Lincoln: “A goal properly set is already half achieved.”
But how do you choose the “right” goals, whether they be personal or professional, short-term or long-term, and how do you implement them and celebrate progress towards them? You have no doubt heard of the personal performance improvement method of setting SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. However, it doesn't always work. It is too easy to find excuses and justifications for the fact that the goals and objectives have not been achieved. Here are the most common obstacles to achieving them:
What if setting goals doesn't work? Do you know those who say so? As a rule, this happens in cases where people set the bar too high and take on very ambitious goals that are difficult to start with. As a result, these people work on them, worry about them, think about them, work again - and realize that for some reason (and there are usually several of them!) They cannot "just do it." As a result, they never manage to finish what they started.
Won't setting goals limit my range of possibilities? Some people prefer to rely on luck; in other words, without specifying their goals, they live in the moment and seize opportunities as they arise. “Of course, I would like to know about the next promotion if I was offered one. If not, it's okay; there will be another opportunity." I heard this remark from a participant in an open seminar, which I conducted in a non-profit organization.
Fortunately, there is a compromise option. For those who have already set some goals in the past, but never achieved them, it's time to start all over again. For those who enjoy the surprises of life, I advise you to continue to live and work the way they used to do it. But you must be aware that in order to make the best even better, you will need something - and you need to start right now.

Start with what you have

I often ask my clients to do the following: write by hand a long, unordered list of the personal tasks they have set for themselves, and note which of them have not yet been completed. As a rule, people include promises, projects, tasks, ideas, etc. in such lists. Most often, the list is quite long. (The longest list I've ever seen was over 400 items, one line each.) As in the previous exercise, set aside 15 minutes of uninterrupted time so you can focus, and then answer the question: “What did I promise but never delivered?”
I am convinced that if you have a clear idea of the work that you have to do (I use the word “work” here in the broadest sense, as I explained earlier in this chapter), you will understand the importance of improving your methods of increasing productivity.
How do you start your day? So what exactly should you do? Here's my advice: start with what you have. Chapter 1 focuses on how to work more efficiently and take personal responsibility for improving the best. Now it's time to determine when you are at your best.
You no doubt know why your whole day might not go the way you would like. In order to change the situation, I propose to conduct another five-day experiment. At the beginning of each day, ask yourself the following questions:
Did I wake up refreshed?
Is my mind already overwhelmed with thoughts about what I have to do today, this week, this year?
Are there people in my life whose mere thought makes me stressed and anxious?
Can I definitely or at least more or less clearly imagine in the morning what I can do during the day?
As you ask yourself these questions and look for answers over the next five days, mark the days when your mornings started off unproductive and made you depressed. You don't have to keep track of everything that happens to you; just pay attention to what you can use to your advantage. Knowing what can ruin our day, we can remove these obstacles so that they do not lead us astray in the way that they used to.
Below is the "I'm at my best when..." challenge that I give to all of my clients, whether they're high school students planning to go to college or people who are no longer working but are volunteering in their local communities. Most of my listeners are senior managers; I do coaching sessions with them when they are trying to get promoted in their organizations. In addition, I work with startup founders, helping them turn their ideas into full-fledged businesses.
Here's the advice I give to all clients: take advantage of the boon of your own attention! Take a break right now and make a list of things that can happen during the day that will help you work most efficiently.
When are you at your best? How do you define it? It is human nature to return to a natural state of equilibrium (often referred to as "homeostasis") by doing everyday things. Understanding your habits and routines is essential to improving your overall productivity and achieving your goals. By focusing on what you can control, you have at your disposal one important key to success (although this is not always so easy, as you will see below).
Knowing when you are at your best, focusing on it, and doing your best to maintain it all require initiative and discipline. In fact, working at your peak may involve a significant change in behavior, but I assure you that this process will entail a significant improvement in the quality of life.
How do you know when you are at your best? Take three simple steps:
1. Take a blank sheet of paper.
2. At the top, write: “I am at my best when…”
3. Below this phrase, list 5 to 10 things you can do to make your day productive. For example: “When I have a hearty breakfast” (and this is up to you) or “When my boss is in a good mood” (and this is no longer in your power). Below you will find some examples to help you make such a list.
Starting your day by focusing on what keeps you at your best will ensure proactive, productive change in your life. Some of my clients refer to this method as the “recipe for a great day.” Hang your list where you can see it immediately after waking up in the morning and throughout the day.
Review it in the morning for the next five days. If you haven't already done something to improve your day, take a moment right now and try to do it. Prepare yourself for success.
During the first days of the experiment, make conscious attempts view the list every morning and complete at least one item from it as close to the beginning of the day as possible. Making this practice a habit speeds up reactions, improves mood, and reduces stress levels both at work and at home. Think about when during the day you will be able to apply these simple new skills.
Here are a few "I'm at my best when..." items taken from other people's lists. You can use them or include other options in the list.

I am at my best when...

I sleep well at night and have a hearty breakfast in the morning.
I arrive on time for business meetings.
I establish contact with clients before meeting them in person.
I make a list of tasks and desired results for the coming day.
Ready for meetings and presentations.
I have everything I need on my computer or smartphone to organize my movements.
I give credit to other team members and tell them that they did a good job.
My electronic device (e-book, smartphone, laptop) is fully charged and ready to go.
Now take some time to figure out what habits will help you be in the best shape. When you start focusing on them, you will amplify them many times over and thereby increase the likelihood that each of your days will become more productive. This is and thus work more efficiently.

Chapter 2
Improvement and optimal pace
How to Build and Reinforce Performance Habits

After reading the first chapter, you learned what role you yourself have to play in improving the best. Now ask yourself the next important question: “What does it mean for me work more efficiently?
In the process of searching for an answer to it, do not forget about these words: stability, consistency and pace. These are the three important factors for guaranteed change. If you want to increase your level of productivity, you must understand how they work together.
When I meet a client for the first time, I ask him this question: “Do your methods work for you?” By that I mean: are you getting the results you want? Do you put things off until later, only to realize that you simply don’t have free time? "How works your work system? is the question I recommend reflecting on this week. Let it occupy your thoughts for a while. You will probably have many different answers, some positive and some not. Ultimately, you will think about your purpose, as well as personal and professional goals that are still on your list.
Sustainability has a lot to do with professional development and personal performance. For our purposes, let's go beyond the traditional meaning of the term and look at it from this perspective: "Resilience is the ability to maintain a certain pace or maintain a certain level."
Analyze the sustainability of your work methods and behaviour. Will you be able to keep them like this for a long time? Can you continue to work at the same pace for a longer period - say, several years or decades?

Summary of the book

About the book

Imagine that your personal effectiveness is growing every day.

In this book, productivity expert Jason Womack explains why increasing the number of working hours is the wrong path to efficiency. Instead, you should clarify your habits, embrace new attitudes, and be proactive.

Raising the Bar contains the most effective techniques for achieving goals and managing time. In this summary, you will learn what aspects of life suck your motivation, as well as how to take your ambitions to the next level.

Who should read this abstract?

Anyone who is looking for self-development
Coaches and team leaders
Anyone who wants to get the most out of their working time

about the author

Jason Womack

Jason Womack is a renowned speaker and trainer for company directors, managers, office workers and entrepreneurs. He has led over 1,200 productivity workshops and workshops around the world, sharing his wealth of experience on how to increase productivity at work.

Learn to make the most of your life potential

Have you ever wondered if your working day is as productive as it can be? Are you really doing your best? Unlikely.

In fact, we all suffer from chronic inefficiencies in our day to day activities. To begin with, remember how many times a day your colleagues distract you from work? It may seem that there is nothing special in this - you think, chatted for ten minutes with a colleague - but if this happens six times a day - you are already wasting an hour of time.

As a rule, we are all very far from being able to use our full potential. But what to do about it? Fortunately, this book has the answer to that question.

Read this summary and you will learn how to begin to use your own potential.

From this book you will learn:

why life is a marathon, not a sprint;
why you need to carefully assess the people you work with; as well as,
how to maintain the necessary level of motivation.

Keep a good pace of work and value your time

What things have you put off today? We all postpone tasks in one way or another, promising ourselves to return to them as soon as we have more time. However, time does not appear, and the list keeps growing and growing. This greatly hinders the achievement of your goals, but it can be combated by maintaining a good pace.

So how do you find "your" pace? It all boils down to the concept of balance: make sure you move fast enough to stay motivated, but don't "drive" so you don't run out of steam by the end of the day. If you can find a middle ground that suits you - that's your pace. And once you've identified it, hold on to it!

The author had to go through certain difficulties to come to this. An avid athlete, he once ran a Wildflower triathlon and found himself running the first mile in just six minutes, when his usual pace is eight minutes per mile. And of course, after running five miles, he was exhausted and had to slow down. This would not have happened if he had run at his own pace from the very beginning.

Working at your own pace - is a great way to make the most of your time. But there is another way to make the most of the time we have available.

How? Just appreciate his!

Look: 15 minutes - is only one percent of the day. So we have plenty of time to complete the necessary things. When an author has to wait 15 minutes for something (for example, before a business meeting), he has time to write a thank you note, review his schedule for the next three weeks, book a hotel and rent a car for the next trip, check voice mail and sketch out an article outline.

Think about the next time you have 15 minutes to spare, how you can make the most of it. And waiting times that seem so inconvenient can turn into windows of opportunity throughout the day, during which you can complete and cross small tasks off your to-do list. This, in turn, will relieve your head, and you will be able to take on more important tasks, which, as we will see below, is vital.

Eliminate all distractions, including people - and you will be much closer to your goal

Remember that feeling when you're reading a book, then your thoughts drift off to the side and you suddenly find yourself reaching the end of the page with no idea what you just read? It seems that there is always something to distract yourself with! But if we want to understand the content of the book, as well as achieve our goals, we need to deal with distractions.

Distractions constantly hang over us and keep our attention from focusing on the present moment, and sometimes this happens to a much greater extent than we think.

One day, a new client who came to executive coaching asked the author the question: “Where do we start?” The author placed a stack of paper in front of her and asked her to write what she was thinking on the first sheet. Then he asked her to put down the sheet and write the next thing on the second sheet, and so on.

Almost everything she wrote was tasks that she needed to complete, from hiring a new employee to organizing a summer camp for her daughter. Four hours later, she managed to find out more than 500 things that required her attention.

This way, it's easy to see how many unfinished tasks are draining your energy and distracting you from your real goals. Crossing these factors off your to-do list is an important step towards increasing your productivity.

But not only deeds or assignments can distract you - people do it with the same success. How much time do you spend with people who limit your thinking?

Try listing all the people you spend the most time with and assess how they affect your productivity and focus. In a couple of days you will see what kind of people truly inspire you. With these people, you should strive to spend at least an hour or two every week or every month. This will help you stay motivated and mentally clear.

Monitor your productivity and always remember why you do what you do

We can do our best to complete the entire to-do list, but there are a few other hazards that could cause you to lose time without even realizing it. For example, how often do you take a break from work to chat with a colleague? Over time, these gaps add up to each other.

So how do you deal with them? It is necessary to monitor, analyze them and change the situation.

One of the author's clients decided to count how many times he was interrupted from work by a colleague in two days: 27 times! Can you imagine how much this threatened his productivity?! After calculating and realizing how much time he was wasting, the client decided that something had to be done about it.

Try to count for yourself how much time you spend away from your desk, or how many times someone asks you to "take a moment". Most likely, the results will shock you!

Controlling productivity on a daily basis - is an incredibly useful thing, but it cannot be the only tool. It is also very important that you constantly remember why you are doing what you are doing. Ask yourself regularly what is your true purpose - this will help you stay on track.

You can start with a great wording "in order to ...". For example, "I work to be able to send my kids to college." Record these statements somewhere so that you can see them daily so that they inspire you and remind you of yourself.

Collect feedback, listen and never stop striving for the best!

No matter what we think about it - no one can truly change the world on their own.

Fortunately, the world is full of people from whom you can learn and from whom you can take an example as you move forward. All you have to do - is just ask them!

But before that, remember the last time from whom you heard constructive criticism addressed to you. From the boss? From a spouse? What exactly did they say?

If you are unable to remember, this may be a sign that you need to listen more carefully to people. One way to improve your listening skills is to collect feedback more often and actively look for ways to get it. Don't wait for it to come by itself!

A great way to collect more feedback - is to create a kind of mutual aid program. Here's how it works: Think about who you could meet once a week for the next two months. During these meetings, tell your partner about your current projects, get feedback, and then ask the partner about his projects and offer to give him feedback as well.

This is a great way to keep track so that you can be sure that you are constantly growing. But if you're serious about self-development, it's also important to make sure that you never rest on your laurels, even if it seems very attractive.

Once we take on a job, then do it for a long time, we strive to do it in the most comfortable way, assuring ourselves that we know the best way to accomplish this task. But if you want to achieve more, never allow yourself to act within your comfort zone - expand your boundaries and act!

One way to do this is to instill a beginner mindset. Take the example of the author's mentor, Jim Polk. Even though he is an accomplished pilot with hundreds of flying hours under his belt, he is still practicing the basic lessons he learned when he first learned to fly.

So the main idea of the book is:

Setting clear goals, eliminating distractions, and valuing your time will help you start working more productively. Your ambitions will become feasible if you focus only on them and surround yourself with those people who inspire you.

Practical advice:

Make the most of your waiting time!

If you have a few minutes to spare, write a small thank you note to a colleague or someone who has helped you recently. Not only will this help you stay productive, but it will also allow you to live in the present moment and focus on what you are grateful for - which is a great boost of energy! So make sure you always have a piece of paper and an envelope handy - just in case.

All rights reserved. No part of the electronic version of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including posting on the Internet and corporate networks, for private and public use, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

Legal support of the publishing house is provided by the law firm "Vegas-Lex"

This book is well complemented by:

How to get things in order

David Allen

Work less, do more

Kerry Gleason

At the peak of opportunity

Robert Posen

Foreword

Throughout my career as a business coach, I have helped successful people become even more successful. And they succeed! They do get better, but not without the help of such a wonderful mentor as Jason Womack. Raising the bar book. How to work smarter, think bigger, and get more done” is based entirely on his experience in performance improvement and executive coaching. Jason's recommendations will allow you to achieve more significant results, and the use of his methods and tools will provide a significant increase in personal effectiveness.

If you still have doubts about whether to read this book, my recommendation is unequivocal: keep reading!

Three reasons (out of many) why I love this book

First, Jason begins by looking at the biggest obstacle to success and change, the obstacle that lies within ourselves. Most people, especially those who have already reached certain heights, are convinced that the behavior that ensured success in the past will allow them to achieve it in the future. I call this the successful man's fallacy. To overcome it, you need to carefully analyze your behavior pattern. In Jason's words, this requires "declaring your own role in improving the best."

Second, Jason devoted a separate chapter (ninth) to the role of positive and negative focus, a basic concept that is often overlooked. A dramatic increase in efficiency is not always a by-product of gaining new knowledge or doing more work. Much more often, this happens by eliminating the distractions that prevent us from working on the most important tasks (Jason calls them MIT - Most Important Things).

Finally, each chapter contains ideas that you can start experimenting with right now. Jason puts extremely useful tools at your disposal to improve your efficiency. The exercises in each chapter will help you focus on improvement and accelerate your progress toward success.

The valuable information that you will find in the book is applicable in all areas of life. This is a kind of strategic plan that anyone can use to increase personal effectiveness. Jason's simple, doable steps and actionable ideas will help you get the most out of everything you do.

Life is Beautiful!

I wake up before the alarm goes off - again. Here, at my house (unlike in the city office), there is serene silence - no noisy cars, no planes or wailing sirens, only the water in the fountain in the courtyard gently splashing. Embers are smoldering in the fireplace, the remains of the logs that I kindled the night before. I carefully get out of bed and quietly stand on the carpeted floor - I manage to do this without waking my wife. When I leave the room, our dog looks at me like he's saying, "Go back to bed, the day hasn't started yet."

Down a short flight of stairs, I go to my home office and review my list of MITs (Most Important Things) the day before. I decide to write an article for a business magazine in which I write a column on improving management skills.

I sit down at my desk, pick up a pen and open my notebook to a blank page. Then I set a timer for 80 minutes and start writing down all the ideas that come to mind. All the while, I’m inferring, linking, writing, listing, charting, and organizing the ideas I have on topics like engagement, productivity, and commitment. Soon I am completely immersed in reflection - and now the time allotted for writing the article has expired.

Then, less than an hour and a half after waking up, I review my notes for a phone call with an Asian client. I usually talk to him early in the morning about twice a month. Standing in front of the whiteboard, I dial the client's number and pitch my ideas for a management training program designed specifically for his company; we call it the Productivity TouchPoint Learning Program. The meeting goes well, and we agree to jointly create a series of video tutorials to train the company's staff in basic and advanced management techniques, improve workflow efficiency and personal productivity. These video lessons will be posted on the corporate network, after which more than 80,000 employees of the company will have access to them.

I look out the window facing east. The monitor screen dims when the room begins to flood the sun's rays.

Putting on my fall tracksuit (one would say that in Colorado it would be quite suitable for a winter run), I open the door and plunge into the morning chill. Since I'm running alone, I take the western route and chase my own shadow for a while. I run on a beautiful trail of about 7 km along the river and return home in almost 65 minutes - a good time for such a run! I am hungry, alert and ready for the day ahead that will make me even better.

I'm sure by this time my wife is already up, dressed and reading a book in the living room; there is a cup of homemade latte on the table next to her, and our dog is curled up at her feet. Climbing up to the terrace, I look at my wife through the glass door - and suddenly I remember the day when we first met ...

Introduction

Greetings! My name is Jason, and in the prologue you read the script for my “perfect day.”

Of course, he is not the only one of his kind, but one of many that I tried to draw in my imagination. For several years now, I have been writing down from time to time what I imagine my ideal day to be - and my life is getting better and better. That entry, which was about a house in the mountains, writing an article, a telephone conversation with a client, and jogging along a trail along the river, was made in my diary in 1995. Some time later, I typed this text on a computer, saved it, and have been reviewing it periodically ever since. It always seemed to me that this is one of the most wonderful ways to start a new day.

Portal for the student. Self-training