Core Thesis
Let a man simplify his days as he would simplify his life. The surest path to true effectiveness is this: before the sun rises upon thy labors, or ere thou retirest at night, sit with a blank page and set down all thy tasks as they come; then, with the quiet eye of wisdom, choose only the vital few that truly matter. Thus shalt thou cease to be tossed by every wind of circumstance and instead walk with purpose upon the earth.Key Data & Facts
I have observed that every minute devoted to such deliberate planning spares ten in the doing.
He who commits his work to a written list finds his daily yield increased by one quarter from the very first day.
Of ten tasks that lie before thee, two shall prove worth more than the other eight together; nay, in many cases one alone shall outweigh all the rest.
All men of real achievement keep daily lists, as a woodsman keeps his axe sharp and his path clear. They employ checklists also for every greater undertaking, as one would mark the steps of a long journey through the forest.
Brian Tracy himself, when bound for thirty-six days across fifteen countries, did not multiply his efforts but reduced them to the essential. By this discipline he completed what mattered most, even under the press of great distance and time.Golden Quotes (rendered in Thoreauvian voice)
The evening before, or at the first light of morning, withdraw from the clamor of messages, news, and idle talk. Sit alone with a sheet of paper as one might sit by a still pond. Write down every task that presses upon thee for the coming day. Thus thou layest a straight track through the wilderness of thy obligations.Step the Second – Discern the Vital
Then turn upon thy list the quiet light of inquiry and ask thyself this searching question:
“If I were summoned away from my affairs for the space of one whole month, which tasks must I complete before I go?”By this one question the chaff is separated from the grain. The vital few emerge; the trivial many fall away. Often it reveals that one single labor is worth more than all the others combined.Step the Third – Advance with Single Purpose
At the dawn of the new day, set upon those chosen tasks with undivided attention. Let no distraction turn thee aside. In this manner the plan becomes momentum, and thy days cease to be scattered leaves upon the wind and become instead a deliberate march toward what is essential and true.
I have observed that every minute devoted to such deliberate planning spares ten in the doing.
He who commits his work to a written list finds his daily yield increased by one quarter from the very first day.
Of ten tasks that lie before thee, two shall prove worth more than the other eight together; nay, in many cases one alone shall outweigh all the rest.
All men of real achievement keep daily lists, as a woodsman keeps his axe sharp and his path clear. They employ checklists also for every greater undertaking, as one would mark the steps of a long journey through the forest.
Brian Tracy himself, when bound for thirty-six days across fifteen countries, did not multiply his efforts but reduced them to the essential. By this discipline he completed what mattered most, even under the press of great distance and time.Golden Quotes (rendered in Thoreauvian voice)
- “Every minute spent in planning saves ten in the execution of the work.”
- “To write down thy list is to clarify thy thinking and compel thee to dwell at a higher plane of mind.”
- “He who labors from a list shall see his productivity and output rise by twenty-five parts in the hundred upon the first day.”
- “All truly successful men work from lists.”
- “If I were called away from my home and affairs for the space of a full month, what are the fewest and most necessary tasks I must accomplish?”
The evening before, or at the first light of morning, withdraw from the clamor of messages, news, and idle talk. Sit alone with a sheet of paper as one might sit by a still pond. Write down every task that presses upon thee for the coming day. Thus thou layest a straight track through the wilderness of thy obligations.Step the Second – Discern the Vital
Then turn upon thy list the quiet light of inquiry and ask thyself this searching question:
“If I were summoned away from my affairs for the space of one whole month, which tasks must I complete before I go?”By this one question the chaff is separated from the grain. The vital few emerge; the trivial many fall away. Often it reveals that one single labor is worth more than all the others combined.Step the Third – Advance with Single Purpose
At the dawn of the new day, set upon those chosen tasks with undivided attention. Let no distraction turn thee aside. In this manner the plan becomes momentum, and thy days cease to be scattered leaves upon the wind and become instead a deliberate march toward what is essential and true.