For now it’s enough to say, the important question is not, Can I do this job faster, easier, and cheaper? It’s, Should I be doing this job at all? Getting clear on that question is more important now than ever, as technology gives us unprecedented access to information, other people, and, of course, our work.

Objective 1: Efficiency Ask a random stranger about the purpose of productivity and there’s a good chance you’ll hear something about efficiency.

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” ALICE AND THE CHESHIRE CAT

Your first action here is Consolidate, which will help you leverage three distinct categories of activity and maximize your focus. Next, you’ll Designate. By that I mean you’ll learn to stage tasks so they fit your schedule and hold back the tyranny of the urgent. Last, you’ll Activate by eliminating interruptions and distractions and making

Step 3: Act. Having cut out all the nonessentials, it’s time for execution.

First, you’ll Eliminate. You’ll discover the two most powerful words in productivity and how to use them to banish the time bandits stealing your hours. Second, you’ll Automate, gaining back time and attention by accomplishing low-leverage tasks in the background without much effort. Finally, you’ll Delegate. It’s a terrifying word for many, but

Step 2: Cut. Once you have a clear view of where you are and what you want, it’s time to move to Step 2: Cut.

For the first action, you’ll Formulate. This will help you clarify what you want out of productivity. We’ll reframe productivity so it works in the real world, instead of the wrong side of the Looking Glass. Second, you’ll Evaluate, identifying and filtering your high-leverage activity from low-leverage busy work. You’ll also discover a tool that,

Unless you first know why you’re working, you can’t properly evaluate how you’re working.