The Assignment:  What The Boss Wants — What You Want

“Read Chapter 2”, “Read today’s emails”.

If you have any self-regard, you would not start in at the top and read every word.  But lots of students and dutiful employees do.  If you’re running the show, though, for your own purposes, the approach is quite different.

First, find out for sure what the teacher or boss wants, not what they say they want, but what they really want.  Often, they aren’t clear-headed enough themselves to know.  But if you observe what what they actually zero in on and what they choose to talk about (or test on), then you begin to catch on to what the assignment really is.  Once you know that, intelligent reading will cut wasted time dramatically.

Then, use the Mess-Around method (November 11, 2012) to dig out what they want.  BFAR — Browse, Focus, Absorb, Reinforce — (November 23, 2012) will fall naturally into the process.

Finally, decide what’s in it for you.  What do you want for yourself?  That’s pretty much a separate matter in most school- and work situations.  Hint:  You love the realms of gold.  You can convert any situation so that you can  have an exciting and joy filled time of it.

Anything wrong with the above line of reasoning?