What To Do When There's Too Much To Do
Read What To Do When There's Too Much To Do Online
Authors: Laura Stack
More Praise for
What to Do When There's Too Much to Do
“Stack's incredible book shows you how to get organized better and get more done faster than you ever thought possible.”
âBrian Tracy, author of
Eat That Frog!
and
No Excuses!
“This book will save you time, money, andâmost of allâyour sanity. In our fast-moving, multitasking world of now-now-now, Laura Stack is an extraordinary resource for you, and her expertise is delivered with this book.”
âTim Sanders, bestselling author and former Chief Solutions Officer, Yahoo!
“I don't know anybody who is more organized or who has more energy and has more fun getting things done than Laura Stack. No kidding. She doesn't just write about what she knows; she writes about what she lives. If you feel like there's too much to do, read this book for tips, tactics, and strategies that will decrease the time you invest and increase the results you enjoy.”
âMark Sanborn, author of
Up, Down, or Sideways
and
The Fred Factor
“Laura's Productivity Workflow Formula will help you become the 5 percent employee that creates 95 percent of the company's value. Yet another high-value tool from the Productivity Pro!”
âJeff Bettinger, Chief Career Strategist, HelpMyResume.com
“I am a raving fan of Laura Stack because she is the absolute master of teaching me how to do less and achieve more. For me, like so many others, time has become the new currency. I can always make more money, but I can't make more time. Laura teaches me to make much better use of the time that I have so that I can do more of what I want to do. For me, that's priceless. This book will motivate you to do the simple yet powerful things that can make your work and your life immeasurably more productive and fulfilling.”
âJoe Calloway, author of
Becoming a Category of One
“Leadership, strategy, and business acumen are essential for being successful in business today. At the heart of Laura's effective productivity system are strategies to maximize these essential business skills. Read this book! Adopting her system will unleash your strategic thinking potential and productivity in your business and maximize your results. It has worked for us, and I guarantee it will work for you!”
âMike Howard, Chief Security Officer, Microsoft Corporation
“In this prolific and pragmatic guide, you will find tangible strategies for tackling the working world's toughest issue: time management. Finally, someone has realized we're at maximum capacity, and Stack gives us usable ideas to help us reduce, reduce, reduce.”
âRory Vaden, cofounder, Southwestern Consulting, and
New York Times
bestselling author of
Take the Stairs
“If you have so much to do that you're not sure what to do, here's the first thing to do: buy Laura's book!”
âRandy Gage, author of
Prosperity Mind
“Are you overworked, overstressed, and overwhelmed, yet still you're underproducing? Laura Stack can help you. Buy this book and devour it. You can do less, stress less, and still achieve more. It's possible! Learn how inside.”
âDarren Hardy, Publisher,
Success
magazine, and
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Compound Effect
“Laura Stack is an extraordinary teacher, speaker, and coach who inspires people to become peak performers. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to stop âdoing more with less' but âdo less to achieve more.'”
âDr. Nido R. Qubein, President, High Point University, and Chairman, Great Harvest Bread Company
“Laura Stack improved our work flow, communication, coordination, documentation support, and teamwork. Her touch to our business made and continues to make a lasting change for the better. I can't say enough about how helpful her knowledge and training have been.”
âMontague Boyd, Senior Vice President, Investments, UBS Financial Services
“Counterbalancing my practice that âIf you aren't overwhelmed, you're not reaching your greatest productivity' is Laura Stack's most logical advice found in her latest book. Laura's philosophy is that what you opt
not
to do is often as important asâand often more important thanâwhat you
do
. This book is all about productivity and making the most of the time that we all find in such short supply. Take the time to read the book, and you'll amaze yourself at the demonstrated and proven results.”
âTim Jackson, CAE, CMP, President and CEO, Colorado Automobile Dealers Association
WHEN THERE'S
TOO MUCH
TO DO
Reduce Tasks, Increase Results,
and Save 90 Minutes a Day
LAURA STACK
What To Do When There's Too Much To Do
Copyright © 2012 by Laura Stack
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, California 94104-2916
Tel: (415) 288-0260, Fax: (415) 362-2512
www.bkconnection.com
Ordering information for print editions
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First Edition
Paperback print edition ISBN 978-1-60994-539-8
PDF e-book ISBN 978-1-60994-540-4
IDPF e-book ISBN 978-1-60994-541-1
2012-1
Text design by Yvonne Tsang at Wilsted & Taylor Publishing Services
Cover design by Pemastudio
To my son,
JAMES STACK
When I have too much to do,
spending time with you
puts life in perspective and
makes everything better.
I love you.
INTRODUCTION: THE CASE FOR REDUCTION
A Brand-New Model: The Productivity Workflow Formula⢠(PWF)
Why Do You Have So Much to Do?
What Is Your Productive Value?
To-Do Lists: Tracking What's Left
Triage: Wartime Prioritization
About That 4-Hour Workweek Idea
Further Reducing Your Commitments
Learn to Say NoâAnd Make It Stick
Rescuing Your Time from Meetings
In the Decision Comes the Dilemma
Handling External Distractions
Heading Off Internal Distractions
The Zen of Avoiding Distraction
Your Personal Time Management System
The 6-D Information Management Systemâ¢
Reducing Inefficiencies and Breaking Bottlenecks
The Quest for Constant Improvement
Continued Progress Requires Constant Reevaluation
Maintaining Your Energetic Edge
The Productivity Workflow Formula (PWF) Self-Assessment
One morning, as I entered a ballroom to deliver a keynote address for a Fortune 100 telecommunications company, one of the employees approached me. She didn't look happy. “I have to tell you something,” she said. “I'm not excited about you being here.”
I was a bit taken aback, since I hadn't even opened my mouth yet. “No kidding,” I replied. “Do you mind telling me why?”
“Absolutely,” she continued. “I have no desire to be more productive. I'm working as hard as I possibly can. I'm killing myself with twelve-hour days and already have way too much to do. I don't want a productivity consultant telling me to do more with less. I want to do less and achieve more.”
The lightbulb went on, and I reassured her, “That's exactly what I'm here to help you do.”
I established my company, The Productivity Pro
®
, Inc., in 1992 to help people achieve Maximum Results in Minimum Time
®
. This woman's description of “too much to do” and desire to “do less and achieve more” framed my twenty-year mission perfectly and inspired the title of this book.