Brian Tracy is an international success coach. He has produced a Podcast series entitled “21 Great Ways To Double Your Productivity.” In this installment of that series, Brian Tracy discuss how to double your output by using the ABCDE Method.

You will find the principles discussed in this article simple to implement in your life. The ABCDE Method by Brian Tracy is hands-down one of the most effective time management methods anywhere.

This method will help you to learn to pick the most valuable task and then to discipline yourself to work on that task until it is complete. Time management revolves around helping to clarify for you the most important task that you should be working on, before you start working.

In order for you to determine which task you should be working on, or not working on, Brian Tracy says that you need to think about the consequences of doing or not doing the task. An important task is a task that can have major consequences whether it is done or not.

That’s the key: to continually identify the consequences of completing, or not completing, a given task.

Here’s how to use Brian Tracy’s ABCDE method:

1. Make a list of everything that you have to do.

2. Label each item with an A, B, C, D, or E.

An “A” item represents something that you must do. These items have serious consequences. These are your key tasks. Work on these first.

“B” items are “Should Do’s” but carry fewer consequences than “A” tasks.

“C” items are nice to do, but have no consequences. These are things like reading the newspaper at work, phoning a friend, or going out for coffee. Again, these are nice to do, but carry no consequences for your career or for your long-term success.

The rule is to never do a “B” item when an “A” item is still on the list; never do “C” when there’s still a “B”. Pretty easy instructions, but it takes discipline to implement the list and follow it in order.

“D” tasks should be delegated. Don’t even work on these, personally. Pass these off to partners or coworkers who can complete the job equally well as you. These have consequences, but someone else can work on them.

“E” stands for eliminate. You can eliminate these tasks and there will be no consequences.

If you want to free yourself to work on your A and B tasks you really need to discipline yourself to get rid of all tasks that can be done by others and to eliminate all non-essential tasks.

And the last step in the ABCDE Method…

3. Put A’s in order of priority.

You do this by placing numbers by each item. 1 for the most important, 2 for the next important, etc. You’ll end up with a list that looks like this: A1, A2, A3, … Next stick to A1 until there is nothing left to do on that task.

If you follow this Brian Tracy Success Secret, you will be well on your way to doubling your productivity.