LONDON: The key to success is choosing which of your sub-personalities to put in charge, says productivity expert Jurgen Wolff, author of the international best-seller, "Focus: Use the power of targeted thinking to get more done."

Wolff calls his method "The Alter Ego Strategy." He says we all have multiple personalities -- we behave one way when we're with friends, another when we're being creative, another when we're totally focused. The problem is that most of the time we leave to chance which of these sub-personalities is in charge.

"The trick," he says, "is to figure out which aspect of yourself best matches the task at hand. Strongly imagine being in that state now, and get to work. Repeat that for each task."

The price of putting the wrong part of yourself in charge can be high. Wolff cites the recent example of Tony Hayward of BP. "When he was making statements to the press he should have found the 'I feel your pain' part of his personality. Instead he let his 'it's all about me' part run the show."

"Focus: Use the power of targeted thinking to get more done" is published by Pearson and available from Amazon and other online and offline retailers. There's more information about Wolff and the book at http://www.focusquick.com.