The 6-Fold Increase

I've just heard a story that I think you'll like. It comes from round about the beginning of the 20th Century, and it involves a very rich industrialist named Charles Schwab. You may not know the name, but at the time he would have been just about as famous as Bill Gates is now - a real example of Supreme Success, in fact.

One day Mr. Schwab was contacted by a member of a fairly new profession - an efficiency expert. The offer he was made intrigued him.

"If you let me spend just 15 minutes with each member of your executive staff," the expert said, "I'll increase your company's productivity and profits six-fold... and all you have to do is pay me, after 90 days, exactly what you think my work is worth."

Charles Schwab couldn't resist. After all, he was an efficient man, and he insisted his executives be every bit as efficient as himself. How could a total stranger possibly achieve a 6-fold increase in his business in that time?

Well, if it didn't work, at least it wasn't going to cost him anything.

He gave the go-ahead, and authorized the efficiency expert to talk to each of his executives in turn, for about a quarter of an hour.

By the time the 90 days were up, Charles Schwab had seen his already-thriving business transformed beyond his recognition - so much so that he gratefully wrote the expert a check for $35,000.

Now, by today's standards that might not sound like much of a recompense for someone who'd boosted a company's efficiency to that extent, but, remember, this was at a time when an average worker would be lucky to go home with $10 in his pocket for the week.

You'd imagine that the expert must have come up with something really groundbreaking to achieve results like that, wouldn't you? Something no-one else had ever heard or thought of? Something radical and difficult, that only top executives could use?

Not a bit of it. The technique that each executive was taught was very simple.

It's something you can do, as well, and you can start today. It won't cost you $35,000 - in fact, it doesn't cost you anything at all - and it'll work for you, just as it worked for Charles Schwab's company.

Every night, list the 6 most important things you have to do next day to get you where you want to go, and every morning...

Do them.

Start working on the first 6 things you know you need to do that day, and don't let anything distract you.

Focus on them till you've got them finished.

Unplug the phone. Switch off the TV. Don't check out your e-mails, unless they're work-related and you really need to. Keep away from all the social network sites. Ignore all invitations to have coffee and a chat, and anything else that might get in the way, until you've finished.

A clear view of where you want to go (listing the next day's 6 most important items) and a strong and energetic focus on getting there (getting those things done) will transform your life and fortunes, too.

Try it yourself for 90 days, and see!