25 Ways to Get Better Results

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to be really good at getting results, while others struggle?

What are the true secrets of productivity that set one person apart from another, and help them achieve high performance?

I've studied the challenge of personal productivity deeply to really understand the difference that makes the difference.

I’ve put together a list of 25 Keys to Getting Better Results that cut to the chase and get to the bottom line of extreme productivity:

25 Keys to Getting Better Results

This list of productivity secrets is from my best-selling productivity book, Getting Results the Agile Way, and reflects the best of what I’ve learned in terms of what really makes some people stand out when it comes to personal productivity, high performance, and making things happen.

After all, who doesn’t want better results in work and life?

You can read the list of productivity secrets, but here I want to touch on a few key ideas.

Vision

Vision is probably the single most important starting point when it comes to getting better results. 

It’s hard to do anything if you don’t know what it’s supposed to be or do when it’s done.

If you can see the end-in-mind, then you are off to a good start.

And if you feel really good about the end-in-mind, then you have something to pull you forward versus trying to push yourself forward.

When your vision pulls you forward, you are on the right path.

Value

Value is in the eye of the beholder and in the eye of the stakeholder.

Value is also the ultimate short-cut.

If you know what good looks like or if you know what’s actually valued, you can refocus your efforts on high-value activities that produce those outcomes.

When you don’t know who the value is for, or what good looks like, you are in trouble.

That’s why it’s important to check with the people you are producing value for, whether you are actually nailing their pains, needs, and desired outcomes.

If not, no problem – learn and adapt.

Learn early, learn often, and really get curious about which of your activities produce the highest value results.

Velocity

Speed is the name of the game.

As John Wooden would often say, “Be quick, but don’t hurry.”

In other words, make your moves quickly, but with intention, and with quality.

Quality comes through practice and repetition.  It’s how you learn.

Try things.   But try then quickly, and experiment in how you product results.

Use speed as your friend to learn faster, and to build momentum.

Don’t get bogged down.  Use speed to cut through your challenges, and quickly prioritize your best bets, and create a flow of continuous value.

Sometimes you will need to slow down to speed up.

But more often than not, you will need to speed up, so you that you are effectively taking massive action.

Few challenges withstand the onslaught of massive action, as long as you keep on learning and improving.

Well, that’s about it for now.

I hope that gives you at least a big of an edge that you can use in your day, every day, to get better, faster, simpler results for work and life.

Enjoy.