Completing jobs whether you are an author writing a book, a carpenter making tables or salesperson selling mobile phones, your productivity is dependent on the initial (but important) work done beforehand.

For example, A very proficient writer once wrote that the best essays offer only one idea. A big idea. An idea so compelling it can be grasped in a sentence or two. Once you have this theme the rest of the essay supports that thought.

But how do you discover that thought?

Preparatory work.

For the writer who wants to write persuasive articles, the idea likely comes by reading, then forming the idea into a cogent article before any ink leaves the pen.

The carpenter might review the drawings or blueprint then “see” the completed item in his mind before he even grasps a tool.

The salesperson might think about her ideal client, knowing her client’s particular need, and decide to target business owners who meet that profile before she knocks on a single door.

The key is preparatory work. Before you begin to work productively you need the information to form the result in your mind. Create the vision clearly in your mind regardless if the goal is a completed article, an oak table or front-end sale.

Your particular trade, career or business might be different from these examples, but with a little creative thinking the concept can be applied to anything. For most projects, the hard work is the prep work, but all that good work done at the outset makes the whole job easier.