1. Post this question near your work station (or anywhere else you need to be reminded of the concept): "What can I, and only I, do today?" This is the underlying concept to the entire article (and could be for your entire life if you want to maximize your contributions to the world).

2. Take stock in your strengths, talents, responsibilities, and aptitudes. Own them and honor them. One of my favorite books to aid in this quest is Now, Discover Your Strengths and their newer version, StrengthsFinder 2.0, both published by the Gallup Organization.

3. Each week, determine what your highest priorities are. Really. This is not an empty suggestion.

4. Put a price tag on various tasks that you are currently doing, but that don't seem to fall into the "what only you can do" category. Are you the only one who can wash a car? Clean your house? Stuff envelopes for a mailing? Bake cookies?

5. If your hourly "pay" is more than what you can hire someone else to do a task, then hire it done. (Note: This applies to jobs, chores, and projects, not to personal areas such as reading to your children before they go to sleep at night.) A fine teenager in your neighborhood might need money for a college fund and would be delighted to mow your lawn.

6. Value yourself and others, and that includes valuing everyone's time.

7. Ask yourself throughout the day, "What is the best use of my time, right now?" This does not mean that every minute of your day must be packed with activity. Sometimes a nap with your cat is just what you need.

8. Eliminate unimportant tasks, chores, and projects altogether.

9. Then, eliminate less important tasks, chores, and projects.

10. Support those around you so that they, too, are doing what only they can do. You can have a dramatic impact on others when you help them know what you know, as far as being a focused human being and faculty member.

This is a difficult concept at first, but once you begin to get a handle on it, you become diligent about increasing your productivity by eliminating tasks, jobs, projects, etc., that you are not best suited for, based on your skills and talents. Give it a try. Just pick one of the suggestions and see what happens. Your awareness will increase first....then your productivity as you implement more of the ideas.

As a teacher, it's critical that you consider (and then implement) these ideas. The world can't afford for you *not* to be at your best and using your best talents and skills.

Keep moving forward on your goals for more peaceful productivity. Join other professors (worldwide) who receive Meggin's weekly emails (and see what is available for download at no cost at the following websites):

**Top Ten Productivity Tips

**Keys to Keeping Chaos at Bay

(c) 2008 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., "The Ph.D. of Productivity"(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!