Do you want to be more efficient?

1. If you can manage your workload without feeling stressed out or overwhelmed and still have the time to pursue your personal interests or what you value, then you might not need the three pillar system
2. If you sincerely think that you do not even have a little control over your day, then the three pillar system might not be for you
3. If you are not looking to take on more responsibility in your personal or professional life

But if you are busy, and you realize that you could use a little more structure, a little more focus and a little more satisfaction in your life—or that you could be more intentional about the time you spend at work and outside work, or training to run a marathon with a full time job or spending more time with your partner or family—then the three pillar system could be exactly what you want.

You know what, there was a time when I was not following the three pillar system. I was struggling to balance my life. As a researcher, I had multiple projects going on in parallel, managed teams, contributed to grant writing and teaching duties and was highly motivated to publish my research in top scientific conferences and journals. I had pages filled with todos.

So I followed the advice I heard growing up which was “to burn the midnight oil” or “work hard”. That translated to always having work on my mind. I assumed that holidays and breaks deterred productivity. My partner even went on two vacations without me as I felt I was buried so deep in work.

In preparation for a grant, I learned about the principles, systems and practices that leaders use to be highly effective. I came across various planning strategies, the value of timing and how to overcome decision fatigue. It became evident that my approach to work and life was not sustainable. If I wanted to be effective at work and still have an overall sense of well-being, I would have to make structural changes to my life.

I was determined to change. Without self-determination, change is unlikely.

I scoured editorial articles, books, podcasts and academic journals for high-quality information on how to be more productive and still have a peace of mind. I was committed to trying new things so that I could get a lot of work done and still have time for myself.

I experimented regularly. I leveraged my scientific mindset and research skills to sift through the literature and identify truly valuable and actionable resources.

It’s a slow process and it took me weeks and months to arrive at meaningful results.

The changes I made were small and incremental. That prevented me from feeling overwhelmed. I could also evaluate if the change was effective or not.

In full disclosure, some of the techniques I came across did not seem attractive or easy at all. I still gave them a shot. Surprisingly, a couple of them form the bedrock to the three pillars system.

• Will I see results immediately?
  Ummm….yes and no. Implementing some of the concepts will give you immediate results but a major transformation is most likely only in the long term. You could expect to perceive considerable results in two months. Changing the way you operate takes time, effort and depends on your life situation, so your mileage might vary.
• Could I not do this on my own for free?
  You could, but it’ll take you a long time to do the research (there’s a ton of (mis)information out there), experiment and filter the techniques that work. I’ve already done that for you. What’s even better is that I’ve combined and distilled concepts from different authoritative books and research into a concise form so all you have to do is start. I’ve even included implementation challenges, something that’s usually missing in the literature but so very valuable to know.
• Am I not doing this already?
  There’s a good chance you’re already doing some or most of what’s presented in this book already. However, some of the practices might have slipped. This book attempts to re-inspire you to reincorporate that into your repertoire.
• How much time is the book going to take me to complete?
  Honestly, it’s really difficult for me to say exactly how much time you will need to put all the concepts from the three pillar system into action. Expect to spend a few hours reading the book and at the same time to take notes or think of ways you can incorporate the ideas into your life. Then consider taking one method at a time and try it out for one, two, three or four weeks and see what happens. Once you’re comfortable, add more to your reportoire.
• Which method should I implement first?
  My number one pick is to start with the daily wrap up! You will be amazed at how effective this is at ending the day in a positive mental state but also spurs you on to plan and focus.

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If you have any questions or concerns about the book, email me: support@kashyapt.com