Hi there, this is a quickie but a very very important one.
Here’s a very simple system I use personally to get things done within a single day.
It’s too easy to get distracted, “interested in something new and shiny”, or just take too long to do things…
So SOME kind of a system is needed.
Here’s what I do:
- After waking up and doing my ‘morning thing’, I’ll go to a whiteboard and come up with no more than FOUR (often exactly four, sometimes less) things to accomplish today. A.k.a. four outcomes fully completed and done, giving you a sense of satisfaction about the day. If you do something beyond that, that’s great but by then you’ll already feel accomplished.
- I chunkify and re-chunkify each of the four tasks relentlessly, into very small ACTIONABLE items. If I’m at the computer, I’ll use a great tool called the TaDaList.com. It allows me to quickly write up what I need to do to get to the finish line, rearrange and edit that list, and check off every item as I progress. It’s not a planning tool, it’s a tool to line up and track ACTION.
photo credit: Nils Geylen
Now, you’re mileage may vary and all that… but I’ve found this simple little system to be VERY useful in getting things done within a day.
Of course, if there’s overflow you can always draft the activities of the next day or two in advance.
But the main point is that having a simple system like this makes sure you’ll actually get to results each and every day, and will grow in accomplishments and self-esteem every passing day.
In my humble opinion, that’s pretty priceless. 🙂
PS. One important thing to add about the todo lists (or indeed, tada lists): it works fantastically well when you really chunkify to micro levels of your activity. Make the tasks extremely small and easy to accomplish, so that you’ll always stay on the move and won’t have to wonder what to do next. It makes all the difference!
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