The Order of Operations that Makes the Dream Come True! (Part 1)

Double Your Salary

May 2

Image sourced by Patrick Perkins @patrickperkins

Order of operations means how you arrange the tasks that are part of a process – what task you perform first, second, third, etc. From A to Z.

When you think of a project, the order of operations Matters.

By selecting and planning the best or optimal sequence of tasks – the order of operations – including the best place to start or the optimal place to start – for your workday and work projects, you put yourself in the Best position to deliver your assignments on time, efficiently and with accuracy and boost your productivity and boost value creation.

That’s the road to Double Your Salary.

Over the past few weeks I have been cleaning out my house. It’s about time!

Time to get rid of the clutter and especially the stacks of paper.

I stumbled upon a manila folder I had created for my son Mike V. years ago.

In it was a sheet of paper which explains the ‘Order of Operations’ – from his elementary school math class.

Trouble is, Mike recently turned 26. How time flies.

Be that as it may, according to Khan Academy, the secret lies in “PEMDAS” which explains how to tackle a sequence, the order of mathematical calculations.

I’m sure that you remember this from your middle school algebra class.

When you tackle a mathematical problem, you perform the calculations in this order – the order of operations:

Parenthesis
Exponents
Multiplication and Division; and,
Addition and Subtraction.

Suppose you want to run this mathematical calculation:

(17 + 23) x 7 – 14

If my calculations are correct, I arrive at 161.

I started the calculations inside the parenthesis with 2-cubed and then added 17 plus 8.

Instead, if I had started by subtracting 14 from 7, my answer would be completely different: negative 175 in fact.

Oops!

Clearly, 161 is quite different from negative 175!

If you want to see the calculations, scroll down to the very bottom of the post.

The point is that in a project, the order of operations Matters.

And by selecting and planning the best or optimal order of operations for your workday and work projects, you put yourself in the best position to boost your productivity and deliver your assignments on time, efficiently and with accuracy.

And that’s the road to double your salary.

Moving from middle school math to the workplace, how you set your order of operations will drive your productivity which drives the amount of value you create for your company / employer during the workday!

In order to arrive at the correct answer – really your desired outcome – you have to handle the steps in the correct order, step by step.

Again, the order of operations Matters.

Example #2:

The other day, I had to travel to from New York City Philadelphia by car for a meeting. . .

Needless to say, my GPS delivered the precise Order of Operations to guide the journey, step by step.

The trip was smooth as silk. Except for some traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike. You can’t win ‘em all.

If you were calculating say how much gasoline you need to drive from New York City to Philadelphia without stopping to fill your gas tank or how many miles you could drive your EV without recharging and you miscalculated, you might conk out on the New Jersey Turnpike. . .

Example #3:

You’re famished and your best friend is coming over for a gourmet meal which you plan carefully.

First you plan the menu so everything is just right.
You purchase the ingredients.
If you froze any ingredients, you would defrost them.
You cut the items and might cook the chicken or fish at the same time you prepare the sauce, depending on how much cooking time is required.
When and how would you prepare the side dishes? And so on.
You would time the cooking of each course and the side dishes carefully so you can serve each one flawlessly with the temperature just right.
And what about the coffee and dessert?

Most likely, you wouldn’t serve dessert before the appetizers and main course. . .

Example #4:

Your Aunt decides to build a vacation house.

Her architect draws the plans according to your specifications.

You have to buy so many Two by Fours (2’ by 4’s).

So many nails, cans of paint and so on.

Needless to say, the builder would lay the foundation long Before they installed the roof! One might say, “The cherry on top.”

Your Order of Operations Cheat Sheet:

Think of a project you want to complete or a goal you might have.
Write it down! I prefer pen and paper – old school. Although, often for a multi-step project, I’ll use Microsoft Excel because editing, modifying, sorting and rearranging steps is easy.
What’s your picture of the endgame – the desired result?
What steps are between your starting point and the endgame, your goal?
Write down all the steps involved in the process.
What’s the optimal order of operations so you ensure that you succeed?
Can you reorder the steps in the optimal way to achieve the best outcome?
Pick a date to start your journey. Enter an ‘appointment’ in your Outlook calendar.
As you proceed, continuously monitor your results.

Evaluate your progress:

What’s working?
What’s not?

What additional resources could help you be more efficient and more productive?
What other people could help you?
What could you do better?
Modify your work plan accordingly.

When you reach your destination – and achieve your goal, take the victory lap.
Then set a new goal and begin the process anew!

One. Two. Three and so on.

Good luck and congratulations.

To Double Your Salary Even Faster, click here.

Here’s to your success and doubling your salary in record time.

Arthur V.

Disclaimer: OH and Please Remember, we are Not financial advisors, financial planners, attorneys or accountants and are Not providing any specific financial, tax or legal advice here. Be sure to conduct your own due diligence and consult your own professional advisors to get sound professional advice that’s specific to your financial and personal circumstances, risk tolerance, time horizon and investment goals and objectives among other key factors!

The Mathematical Calculations

(17 + 23) x 7 – 14

First, tackle the mathematical functions inside the parentheses.
Given PEMDAS, first you would cube two. Two cubed equals 8. That’s two multiplied by two multiplied by two.
Then, since the 17 and the now 8 (two cubed) are inside the parentheses, add 17 and 8 = 25.
Next, tackle the numbers and mathematical functions that are outside the parentheses. Those are the 7 and the 14.
Since multiplication (and division) precede addition and subtraction, tackle the multiplication first. So, 25 multiplied by 7 = 175.
And finally, subtract 14 from 175: 175 minus 14.
The difference equals 161.

Again, (17 + 23) x 7 – 14

Suppose instead of the above order of operations in the math calculation above, your first step is to:

Subtract 14 from 7 (7 minus 14). The difference equals -7 (negative 7).
Now you cube two. Two cubed equals 8. That’s two multiplied by two multiplied by two.
Then, since the 17 and now 8 (two cubed) are inside the parentheses, add 17 + 8 = 25.
Finally, you multiply 25 by -7.
The product equals -175 (or negative 175).