This post was inspired by a comment I got on an earlier post (thanks Ryan M.) asking what I did to plan the day ahead. I have gotten more into planning as my life has gotten more hectic and crowded. But I’m not a great planner nor do I really strive to be. When I was in the engineering profession the most difficult part of my job wasn’t the work but the predictability, so nowadays I try to keep things as open as possible, while still getting stuff done. In that 5am hour (when I get it) or if not when I first sit down to work but before I’ve started anything else, out comes my notebook. In it I write down the 5 things that I will be super happy and satisfied with my day if I can get done. Sometimes they are work related, in fact mostly, but other times they are things to do with friends & family, running the household, or even something health related. It’s definitely not a to-do list, because I noticed early on that if I overfill it, I get overwhelmed, so I try to max it out at 5 things, and if I can have a super productive day by getting 3 things done, then that’s all I write down, because those might be 3 big things. I have this weekday practice for a couple of reasons – 1) clarity and 2) focus. Instead of thinking over and over again about stuff I need to do or remember, I have confidence I’ve identified what’s important and it allows my mental alarms and reminders to shut off for awhile. The second thing is focus. I’m someone that works from home. I have right now in front of me my computer, my iPhone, and my iPad. Each programmed to get my attention for appointments, emails, texts, and calls. Talk about distraction, and that doesn’t even take into account my ability to get lost on a google search tangent or in the social media universe. Not to mention the real people, work crisis, appointments, and endless errands that also require taking care of. So not only does the list give me clarity on what the key items of the day are, it also keeps me focused on getting them done, then it leaves a lot of freedom in there for me to still feel creative and able to handle the myriad of things that will come up during that day and everyday.
This is just one little practice that I’ve found is easy enough to do consistently and that helps me. I would love to hear what practices you have that help you stay clear and focused?
I make lists and revise lists, and leave lists lying around for revision, because they act as a mental tether for me (and because I’m getting old!). I focus on doing the very next thing for larger tasks, and may count getting part way through a large task as an accomplishment for that day. I prioritize and re-prioritize, and often put time frames next to things, if I’m trying to get a lot done in one day. That step sometimes backfires, as I chronically underestimate how long things take! I’m also experimenting with addressing what floats to mind first, as that obviously is the most pressing to me.
Great words of wisdom, Linda!
I make a list twice a day. One when I get to the office in the morning and the second when I leave the office for items I can do after 9:00 PM. I ALWAYS make the list longer than I can accomplish in one sitting. This forces me to be in a state of continual optimization. I am eccentric about creating systems to optimize my personal abilities.
If my list only contains 3 items and I can accomplish them in 1 hour, then I have no justification to optimize.
Randy
Continual optimization, I really like that. So does that mean that your list is never completed? Or are you figuring out how you can get more done in a shorter period of time. I like the list for after 9pm idea too. Sometimes I have a few things to do in the evening after the kids are asleep but I don’t write it down, I’ll try it because just tonight I was thinking how I could be more present with them without letting work thoughts distract me. Thanks!