Imagine that your doctor told you that your life depends on cutting your work time and effort in half. But you know you can’t afford to be any less productive. How would you do it?

This isn’t some wild hypothetical. Many people find themselves in this exact situation when a commitment to success results in high blood pressure, cardiovascular stress, and other serious physical side effects of working too much of the time in too high a gear. It can cut years off your life.

But when the physician sits these folks down, looks them in the eye and says, “You’ve GOT to cut back on your work, NOW,” they almost always say the same thing: “I can’t.”

What they mean, of course, is that they can’t drop any of the balls they are juggling. And you know what? They might be right. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing they can do.

If you are in this situation yourself, the answer is to learn everything you can about productivity. There are countless books on the topic, as well as websites, DVDs, and audiobooks. Pick whichever format works for you. Learn what it means to work smarter instead of harder. Learn how to put systems in place that will multiply your effectiveness. Learn how to get rid of drains on your time and effort that aren’t adding a THING to your productivity. You will be amazed with your capacity to improve.

So why wait for doctor’s orders? Stress isn’t good for anyone. Get busy NOW learning what productivity is really about.