Here's a smart system for doubling or tripling your daily accomplishments -- without working longer hours. This small idea produces big results for business professionals, salespeople, office workers, educators, nurses, plant foremen and politicians. Actually, everyone who has tried it and written to me has enthusiastically endorsed this idea.

Every day, schedule your top three priorities as appointments. Treat them as if they were the day's most important appointments.

If you work in a fast-paced, hectic place, you might think that's impossible. It's not. For example, if your boss or top customer called you in the morning and said, "I need to talk with you about something big. How about this afternoon at 2:45 for 30 minutes?" You and I both know you'd make the time.

Most people in business do not even get their number one priority for the day accomplished, much less their top three. When you consistently accomplish your top three priorities every day, five days a week, 52 weeks a year, year after year -- you are miles ahead of the pack. You will be recognized as a master in your profession. While most people spread themselves thin like flood waters in the Delta, you are like the Colorado River steadily producing the Grand Canyon.

Does scheduling your top three priorities guarantee you will get them done? No. But it'll be a lot easier to say "Not now" to lesser things that try to pull you off course. And over time, your focused approach will bring you more rock solid results than a let-me-see-how-much-I-can-get-done-today approach ever could.

Doug Smart is the author of the book, "TimeSmart: How Real People Really Get Things Done at Work." He is a management development consultant, professional speaker, and host of the daily motivational radio show, "Smarter by the Minute." For more information, click on Doug@GrowYourSales.org. Copyright 2005 by Doug Smart