STOP WASTING YOUR TIME | The Most Powerful Life Advice Of Successful People 2023

Summary

The video script emphasizes the importance of balance and moderation for a fulfilling life, urging viewers to prioritize relationships and self-care. It introduces the 'Law of Three' for effective time management, identifying the top three activities that contribute most to one's success. The speaker advocates for focusing on these key tasks, improving them, and using the 'Eat the Frog' technique to tackle the most important task first. The script also highlights the significance of self-discipline, determination, and the quality of results in achieving life's rewards.

Takeaways

• 😌 Moderation is key to a happy life; balance is crucial, especially when feeling overwhelmed or time-starved.
• ⏰ Reflect on priorities by asking what you would do if you had only six months to live, to ensure you're focusing on what truly matters.
• 💡 The 'Law of Three' suggests that in any given list of tasks, only three are responsible for 90% of your value or happiness.
• 🔍 Identify your three most important tasks that contribute the most to your life goals and concentrate on them.
• 🚀 To increase productivity, focus on doing fewer things but doing the most important ones more often and improving in those areas.
• 💼 The quality of life is determined by the quality of time management; everything that improves time management enhances life.
• 🌱 Cultivate a burning desire, make a decisive commitment, exercise discipline, and have determination to master time management.
• 🎯 Focus and clarity are essential for getting things done; know your key result areas and concentrate on them.
• 🧘‍♂️ Concentration is vital for success; it's the ability to stay single-mindedly on one task until completion.
• 📈 Task completion is the key to success; it's not about starting tasks but finishing them, which boosts self-esteem and confidence.
• 💰 The 'Law of Sowing and Reaping' indicates that rewards are directly proportional to the quality and quantity of results produced.

Q & A

What is the main principle the Greek philosopher suggested for a happy life?

The main principle suggested by the Greek philosopher is moderation in all things, which is the key to a happy life.

When feeling out of balance or overwhelmed by lack of time, what question should one ask themselves according to the transcript?

One should ask themselves, 'What would I do if I only had 6 months to live?' to reevaluate their priorities and focus on what truly matters.

What is the 'Law of Three' in time management as mentioned in the transcript?

The 'Law of Three' states that out of all the tasks one has to do, there are typically only three activities that account for 90% of the value they contribute in their life.

What are the four D's required to make time management techniques work effectively?

The four D's are Desire, Decision, Discipline, and Determination.

What does the transcript suggest is the most important quality for success today?

The most important quality for success today, as suggested in the transcript, is the ability to focus.

How does the transcript define character in relation to time management and personal productivity?

The transcript defines character as the ability to follow through on a resolution after the initial enthusiasm has passed, essentially being self-discipline in action.

What is the significance of completing tasks in terms of personal well-being and success?

Completing tasks is significant as it leads to increased self-esteem, personal power, and a sense of accomplishment, which in turn boosts confidence and creativity.

What is the 'Eat the Frog' technique mentioned in the transcript and how does it apply to time management?

The 'Eat the Frog' technique involves starting your day by working on the most important task first, which can significantly improve productivity and time management.

What does the transcript suggest about the average person's work capacity and how can one take advantage of this?

The transcript suggests that the average person works at only 50% of capacity, providing a tremendous opportunity for those who implement effective time management strategies to move ahead of others.

How does the transcript relate the quality of one's life to the quality of their time management?

The transcript states that the quality of one's life is determined by the quality of their time management, emphasizing that how one uses their time directly impacts every aspect of their life.

What is the importance of starting with a clean workspace according to the transcript?

Starting with a clean workspace is important as it sets the tone for a neat, professional, and productive working environment, which not only affects one's efficiency but also the perception of others.

Outlines

00:00

🧘 Moderation and Life Balance

The paragraph emphasizes the ancient Greek philosophy of moderation as essential for a happy life. It suggests that when feeling overwhelmed or out of balance, one should reflect on their priorities by asking what they would do if they only had six months to live. This introspective question is meant to encourage spending more time with loved ones and on important relationships. The speaker also proposes imagining financial independence with limited time, to clarify what one would truly value and pursue. The 'Law of Three' is introduced as a time management tool, asserting that typically only three activities contribute most significantly to one's life value and happiness, and focusing on these activities is key to productivity and success.

05:00

🚀 The Four D's of Time Management Mastery

This paragraph delves into the 'Four D's of Time Management': Desire, Decision, Discipline, and Determination. The speaker stresses the importance of having a strong desire to be effective in time management, making a firm decision to master the skill, and maintaining discipline through consistent practice. Determination is highlighted as the drive to persist until one excels in the field of time management. The quality of life is tied to the quality of time management, implying that enhancing time management skills can enrich every aspect of life. The paragraph concludes with the 'Law of Sowing and Reaping,' which posits that results and rewards are directly proportional to the effort and effectiveness invested.

10:02

🎯 The Power of Focus and Concentration

The speaker discusses the significance of focus and concentration in achieving success. They recount a story of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett identifying focus as the key to success. The speaker's philosophy is to heed advice from successful individuals and apply it to one's life. By concentrating on specific goals and activities, one can achieve more. The paragraph also touches on the importance of task completion for increasing self-esteem and personal power. Completing high-priority tasks is contrasted with the stress that results from focusing on low-priority tasks, emphasizing the need for self-discipline to ensure that important tasks are completed and lead to greater opportunities.

15:04

📈 Prioritization and the Law of Three for Income Doubling

The final paragraph introduces a method for increasing income by prioritizing tasks based on the 'Law of Three.' It suggests calculating one's hourly rate and then focusing on tasks that align with or exceed this rate, delegating lower-value tasks. The speaker encourages identifying the three most valuable tasks that contribute significantly to one's career and concentrating on these to the exclusion of less important activities. The habit of starting and completing the most important tasks on time is portrayed as a path to success, happiness, and high self-esteem. The development of character through self-discipline and following through on resolutions, even after initial enthusiasm wanes, is presented as a critical component of personal and professional growth.

Keywords

💡Moderation

Moderation refers to the practice of self-restraint and avoiding excess in all aspects of life. In the video's context, it is presented as a key to a happy life, suggesting that balance in various life activities can lead to overall well-being. The script uses the concept of moderation to encourage viewers to reflect on their priorities when they feel overwhelmed or out of sync with their life balance.

💡Productivity

Productivity is the efficiency of an individual's work or the rate at which work is completed. The video emphasizes that balance and moderation can increase productivity and efficiency. It is tied to the idea that focusing on the most important tasks can significantly enhance one's output and effectiveness in various aspects of life.

💡Time Management

Time management is the process of planning and controlling how much time is spent on specific activities to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity. The video discusses the 'Law of Three' as a time management technique, which posits that three activities account for 90% of one's value contribution, suggesting that focusing on these activities can greatly improve one's life.

💡Law of Three

The 'Law of Three' is a time management principle introduced in the video, stating that out of all the tasks one performs, only three are responsible for 90% of the value they contribute to their life. It encourages individuals to identify and prioritize these three tasks to enhance productivity and success.

💡Focus

Focus is the concentration of attention on a particular object or activity. The video stresses the importance of being clear about one's goals and key result areas. It suggests that having a clear focus leads to better results and is a critical component of success and happiness in life.

💡Concentration

Concentration, in the context of the video, is the act of directing one's full attention to a single task until completion. It is presented as a vital skill for success, where the ability to concentrate amidst distractions is more important than ever in achieving goals.

💡Task Completion

Task completion is the act of finishing a task or project. The video highlights that completing important tasks is the key to success, as it not only leads to tangible results but also boosts self-esteem and personal power. It is the culmination of effective time management and focus.

💡Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is the ability to control one's emotions and actions, particularly in the pursuit of long-term goals. The video emphasizes self-discipline as a crucial element in time management, character development, and achieving success by following through on commitments and making necessary sacrifices.

💡Character

Character, as defined in the video, is the ability to follow through on a resolution even after the initial enthusiasm has faded. It is portrayed as a reflection of self-discipline in action and is essential for long-term success and personal development.

💡Eat the Frog

The phrase 'Eat the Frog' is a metaphor for tackling the most challenging or important task first thing in the morning. The video suggests that working on the most important task can set a positive tone for the day and lead to increased productivity and success.

💡Results Orientation

Results orientation is a mindset that prioritizes the outcomes or results of one's actions over the actions themselves. The video posits that successful people are intensely result-oriented, and it is the quality and quantity of results that determine rewards and success in life.

Highlights

The Greek philosophy emphasizes that moderation in all things is key to a happy life.

When feeling out of balance, consider what you would prioritize if you had only six months to live.

The importance of spending time with loved ones and focusing on relationships is highlighted.

The 'Law of Three' is introduced as a time management technique to identify the three most valuable activities.

The 'Law of Three' asserts that three activities account for 90% of the value you contribute in life.

The concept of focusing on the most important tasks to increase productivity and efficiency is discussed.

The 'Four D's' of time management are presented: Desire, Decision, Discipline, and Determination.

The quality of life is determined by the quality of time management.

The 'Law of Sowing and Reaping' is explained, emphasizing the importance of results for rewards.

The average person operates at only 50% capacity, indicating a significant opportunity for improvement.

The importance of a neat working environment for productivity and perception is highlighted.

The principle of focus leading to clarity and effective results is discussed.

Concentration on a single task until completion is identified as a key to success.

The anecdote of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett emphasizing the importance of focus for success.

The principle of making a list and selecting the most important task to start the day is introduced.

Task completion is identified as the key to success and increased self-esteem.

The importance of self-discipline in task completion and overall success is discussed.

The 'Law of Three' is reiterated as a transformative principle for doubling income and improving life quality.

Character is defined as the ability to follow through on resolutions, highlighting self-discipline.

Transcripts

the Greek said that moderation in all

things is the key to a happy life

moderation now sometimes people say well

I don't have time for my family I don't

have time to exercise I don't have time

for this and time for that whenever you

find yourself getting out of sync with

regard to balance and especially when

you feel that you don't have the time is

when you most need to stop and think so

here's the question to ask what would I

do if I only had 6 months to live if you

find yourself working too hard or not

spending time in your relationship not

spending time with the people you care

about and who care about you ask

yourself what would I do if I only had 6

months to live and if what you would do

is spend more time with the important

people in your life the time to start

spending that time is now so what would

you do if you had six months to live you

know it's an old joke the doctors say

they've never met a businessman on his

deathbed who said boy I wish I'd spent

more time at the office the fact of the

matter is at balance and moderation and

all things increase your productivity

increase your efficiency and remember

the only reason you're working is so

that you can enjoy the great things of

Life which are your people your

relationships the things that make you

happy and so on imagine that you are

financially independent that you have

past 20 million in the bank and

simultaneously you only have 10 years to

live you're going to enjoy superb Health

but you have all the money that you need

and you have to work at something you

cannot be a layabout so therefore if you

could work at anything and you had all

the money you needed and you didn't want

to waste any time what career would you

choose if you could wave a magic wand

and have all the talent and skill that

you need to be successful in any

field what field would you choose for

yourself and then what you do is you

just start to do some research on that

field working it part-time working it

for free reading books and courses

talking to people who are in it I have

spoken to literally thousands of people

over the years who did that and

eventually changed out of their current

job sometimes within their same company

sometimes out of their current job where

they weren't very satisfied into a new

job that they loved and they became a

star at that new job and you can do the

same everybody can do this I'm going to

give you a law that is my favorite law

of time management and it's called The

Law of three this law alone will enable

you to be one of the most productive and

successful people in your world the law

of three is based on my 30 years of

study into time management and what it

basically says is that if you make a

list of everything that you have to do

in a week or a month you'll come up with

20 or 30 some people write down 40 or 50

tasks or activities but if you look at

this list you'll find there are only

three activities that you engage in in

your life that account for 90% of the

value that you contribute in your life

wherever you are in life there's only

night three things that account for for

90% of your happiness only three

things this law of three works

everywhere and it works for everyone it

works if you're a doctor an investment

banker A salesperson a business owner or

a student whatever there is always three

so what you do is you make a list of

everything you do and then you ask three

questions question number one is if I

could only do one thing on this list all

day long which one activity would have

the greatest positive impact on my life

or you could say I could only do one

activity all day long which one activity

would help me to double my income faster

than anything else and that answer is

usually pretty

obvious so you put a circle around there

and then you ask it again if I could

only do two things all day long what

would be the second most valuable thing

that I could do you uh you go through

your list and you'll come up with number

two and then you ask the question the

third time if I would only do three

things all day long what would be number

three and you Circle it now I put every

one of my students through this exercise

and they're all astonished because in a

few minutes they see clearly that these

are the three most important things that

they do in achieving their goals of

health wealth and happiness and so the

rule is this do fewer things in your

daily life but do more important things

and do them more of the time and then

get better improve in each one of those

areas in your life

there's three things that you do that

are more important than everything else

and these will change over time but you

must be clear about those three

things and if you start working on only

those three things you will double your

productivity performance and output very

quickly if you can concentrate on the

three most important things you do well

there's four requirements for you to

make these techniques work for you we

call these the four D's the first D is

desire it's when you must have a burning

desire to be effective

at time

management the second D is decision you

must make a decision that you are going

to become an expert in this subject you

are going to take this

course you're going to use these

materials you're going to practice them

over and over again because what we have

found is in the absence of a decision

nothing ever happens you need a clear

unequivocal Do or Die burn the bridges

decision that this is a subject that you

are going to master the third D is

discipline you must discipline yourself

to practice and repeat over and over

again good time management techniques in

fact we say that time management is

self-discipline in action and the

ability to discipline yourself more than

anything else is going to determine your

success in life and the fourth DED to

become excellent in time management is

determination you must have the ability

to persist you must have the

determination to keep on keeping at it

on and at it long enough until you

become very very good in this field but

I promise you this the payoff is

tremendous because you see time

management is really life

management everything that you do to

improve the quality of your time

management will improve and enhance

every part of your life you can even say

it this way the quality of your life is

determined by the quality of your time

management the quality of your life will

be determined by the way you use your

time minute to minute hour to hour day

to day because your time is your life in

every single study of high- Performing

men and women we find that intense

result orientation goes hand inand with

big payoffs in life you see it's not how

much time you put in or the activities

that you engage in or how sincere or how

intelligent or competent or capable or

anything else it's only what you produce

the results that you get from the time

that you put in that counts in

determining your rewards not only your

psychic rewards how good you feel about

yourself but your financial

rewards you're always paid in direct

proportion to the quality and the

quantity of the results that you produce

we call this the law of sewing and

reaping the law of cause and effect the

cause of everything that happens to you

is your ability to get results and the

easier reward

if you want to increase the quality and

quantity of your rewards you have to

think all the time about increasing the

quality and quantity of your results now

the second point is this most people are

very

unproductive most people cannot do a

full day's work if their life depended

upon it in fact every study that I've

ever seen suggests that the average

person works at only 50% of capacity in

fact in most work environments about 30%

all the work time is spent in

socializing gossiping wasting time

talking chit chatting hanging around the

water fountain reading the newspaper

drinking coffee and so on what does it

mean to you it means that the average

person is working at 50% or less of

capacity there are tremendous

opportunities for you if you'll do some

of the things that we talk about to

rapidly move ahead of other people the

starting point of getting things done is

the quality of neatness the quality of

neatness means that you start with a

clean desk and you end with a clean desk

you start with a clean briefcase and you

end with a clean briefcase you take the

time to make sure that your entire

working environment looks neat

professional productive and effective

remember this it's not just what you do

but it's the perception of other people

of what you do that counts I read a

story by a self-made millionaire who

said that he built five successful

companies and one of their critical

rules was that every single person kept

a clean desk now the fourth key in

getting things done is the importance of

focus focus which leads to Clarity and

we talk about this over and over again

Focus means that you're absolutely clear

about what you're trying to accomplish

Focus means that you're absolutely clear

about your key result areas and why

you're on the

payroll we say that fuzzy Focus leads to

fuzzy results clear Focus leads to clear

results and this means that you take the

time to think you take the time to think

through why am I on the

payroll what have I been hired to

accomplish what are my key result areas

what are my core functions what are the

20% of the things that I do that account

for 80% of my results and so on so the

starting point in getting things done is

focus focus and Clarity I call this the

it's like adjusting the camera all the

time so you keep your focus very very

clear well the next key principle is

concentration concentration is what you

do is once you've decided on the most

important idea to achieve your most

important goal then you have to

concentrate single-mindedly on one thing

until it's complete if Bill Gates and

Warren Buffett the richest man in the

world and the third richest man were at

a dinner party at Bill Gates Homeland

last year and there were about a hundred

guests standing around at the reception

drinking wine and so on these three men

Bill Gates Warren Buffett and Bill Gates

father are good friends and they were

standing and

talking one of the other guests came up

and said excuse me gentlemen you were

three of the most important people in

the world what would you say is the most

important key to success today and they

stopped talking and they all turned and

they said focus focus is the most

important quality for success today

we're so surrounded by so many

distractions of so many kinds that the

ability to focus is more important for

Success than any other quality now I

developed a philosophy when I was young

and broke and the philosophy was that if

Rich successful people tell you to do

something you should do it if they tell

you that this is a key to their success

then you should at least practice it for

a while to see if it applies to you what

I have learned and what I learned

coaching my clients my business business

owners is I taught them how to focus I

taught them how to select specific goals

and activities in each area of their

life and how to focus like a laser beam

on one goal at a time if you can do that

you can conquer the world now

concentration is in reality where all

the work and time management leads us to

it is the ability to concentrate 100% on

one thing setting priorities the most

important thing and and to stay with

that single task until it's finished

concentration means moving forward in a

straight line toward the goals and

objectives that you've clearly

identified it means concentrating

without diversion or distraction focus

and concentration I believe in 25 years

of research are the reasons for success

and happiness in life the reasons for a

lack of success and unhappiness are a

lack of focus a lack of concentration I

have found the most important time

management or personal productivity

principle of all and it is the

make a list of everything you do in the

morning before you start work and then

select the one item on that list that's

more important than any others in terms

of potential consequences and then start

on that one task and work on it 100% of

the time until it's complete now if you

can do that you can double and triple

your productivity become one of the

highest paid and most respected people

in your world select your most important

task start on it immediately work on it

100% to the time until it's complete

because here's what I discovered in 30

years of studying and writing books on

time management task completion is the

key to success it is not tasks that you

work on but it's only the tasks that you

complete if you're a student it's

completing your assignments and your

reports if you're a salesperson it's

completing the sales if you're a

business person it's completing

different transactions everything in

life is completing tasks now here's a

wonderful payoff when you complete an

important task it gives you an increased

sense of selfesteem and personal power

your selfconfidence goes up you get more

energy and more ideas you feel happy

about yourself whenever you complete a

task your brain gives you a rush of

endorphins and endorphins make you happy

more alert and more

creative they strengthen your immune

system so that you're never sick so

you'll find that what success successful

people do is they're always starting and

completing tasks and especially they

start and complete them on time now what

does this require it requires our old

friend and enemy self-discipline now

what we know about task completion is

that not only is it the key to the

Future not only is it the key to getting

more and greater and better

opportunities but important task

completion doing something that's

important to you and carrying it through

and finishing it 100% at the end is uh

source of energy enthusiasm and high

self-esteem men and women who are

working consistently on getting

important things done and staying with

it to the complete are more positive

they're more

optimistic they're more

self-confident they're full of

confidence they have more belief and

self assurance in themselves and they

get more opportunities to complete more

tasks and here's the flip side

completing low priority tasks leads to

stress if you work and you get a lot of

little things done but they're not

moving you toward the accomplishment of

things that are really important to you

what happens is you just feel crummy as

a result we find that the average Brit

average German average French person

Works about $600 a year an average

executive or business owner Works about

$2,000 hours a year so what you do is

you take your annual income and you

divide it by 2,000 so let's say you're

earning $100,000 a year divided by 2,000

that means that you're earning $50 an

hour this is your hourly rate over time

you can include all your benefits and

pensions and so on but whatever this is

let's say your hourly income is $50 an

hour that means by Ricardo's law the law

of comparative advantage as formulated

by David Ricardo you don't do anything

that pays less than $50 an hour you only

do things that pay you $50 an hour or

more or that people would pay you 50 I'm

sorry 50 Quid an hour or more to do and

everything else you delegate if there's

something that someone else can do for

$10 an hour you hire somebody to do that

$20 an hour $30 an hour you keep hiring

people who can do tasks at a lower

hourly rate than yourself now here's the

Great Discovery and this can be

life-changing I call it the law of three

the law of three says that no matter how

many things you do how many tasks you do

in a week or a month and it's usually 20

or 30 three of those tasks account for

90% % of your value only three you make

a list of all of your tasks and I do

this with my business owners and I have

them go through this and they're

astonished they double their income

within 30 days because I asked them the

three magic questions magic question

number one if you could only do one

thing on this list one task on this list

all day long which one task would have

the greatest positive impact on your

career which one task well it'll usually

pop it'll jump out at you so you put a

circle around it then you say if you

could only do two things all day long

which would be number two and you put a

circle around that if you could only do

three things all day long which would be

number three put a circle around that

and suddenly it's almost like all these

other tasks fade again like in a camera

shot in a movie you fade and those three

tasks are sitting there like those three

magic tabs and you realize oh my God

those are the big three everything else

is secondary everything else can be done

by someone else or done later or not

done at all and then you focus on the

three so here's the rule for doubling

your income and doubling it again and

I'll repeat it again do fewer things but

do more important things and do them

more often and get better at them repeat

do fewer things the big three do more

important things do more of them spend

more of your day working on those three

tasks and then get better at those tasks

so you can get more done faster at a

higher level of quality if you will

practice the law of three you'll

transform your life if you combine that

with the eat the Frog and work on your

most important task the one that can

contribute the most value and you can do

that until it becomes a habit just

automatic you get up in the morning and

you just start working on your most

important task and you say no I don't do

that I don't do little tasks

those are not my job people say what

about this what about that I said excuse

me I'm management my labor I do

management tasks I do my big three labor

does all this other thing so you person

who's watching this right now is your

management on

labor think of yourself as management

and do your three

tasks if you can do that until it

becomes a habit you're going to conquer

the world all all of us over the course

of Our Lives want to develop character

and character has been defined several

ways one definition I like is that

character is the ability to follow

through on a resolution after the

enthusiasm with which the resolution was

made has passed so taking this course by

the way you'll make a lot of decisions

and commitments and

resolutions the true measure of

character is whether or not you have the

capacity to follow through character in

effect is self-discipline in action

character is self-discipline in action

you can tell how much character you have

by how willing you are to discipline

yourself to make the sacrifices that are

necessary in the short term to have a

great life in the long

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