To-do lists pile in from a variety of sources. Your kids need doctors, your boss sends you an email, bills arrive in the mail, texts on your phone, a coworker grabs you on the way to a meeting. And then there are the regular parts of the list that are habitual. Getting gas on Mondays, Monday morning meeting with the boss, gym on Thursdays, PTO on Tuesdays, boy scouts on Wednesdays, and so on.
Regardless what type of task it is, it’s time to evaluate. So, we will now sort your activities into categories.
I know sounds like a lot of work, a course is supposed to be a 45-minute project? Yes, there are plenty of these short little courses out there, and you pay a big fee for them but they are not complete, usually there are multiple connecting courses you will be asked to take. A good course can take a good 1-6 hours to complete, but there is always the asignments that should double the time spent on the actual course.
A GOOD PRACTICE TIME MANAGEMENT
You need a single source that holds your list. Not to-dos on the refrigerator, and some in your purse, and others on your phone. Whatever list source you choose, keep the whole shebang together outside of your grocery lists. That most keep updated on a phone app. And technicly this is a to-buy list. Going to the grocery store is on the to-do list.
As you look at the daily activities. Feel free to organize the list your way. The easiest is to number them. 1-6 according to the chart. 1, for urgent, and 6 for wasteful.
POINTERS FOR MAKING YOUR LISTS
Do others reciprocate?
If you are the yes person and no one reciprocates, then you need to put then and their requests in the “Things you’re not sure of” list. Let’s be fair, most of the overdoers are so by self-sacrifice. No one has a gun to your head. Most likely. You might have created a reputation for not needing help in return. It’s your job to be fair now. If you’ve never asked for help in return, they what did you expect? That the world is as considerate as you? Or miss managed as you? It’s not all great that you over do it.
So, in this new life you’re starting, wipe the slate clean, don’t hold it against anyone for their absence or laziness, or lack interest in you. You’ll find that asking for help actually creates a great opportunity to make friends, build relationships, get the kids and spouses involved.
This is where we go back to pausing “I never commit until I’ve had a chance to look at my schedule, so let me get back to you.” Pausing is a wonderful tool in so many areas of our lives. Pause your judgement while you evaluate.
The list can be changed so don’t sweat over it, there will be many areas that you switch around as the next month or so progresses.
Sorting things into six groups will be the goal. Don’t be surprised how much of your list should be in the Things to stop doing!
THINK TANK TIME
- One) Look at your Master List (The complete list)
- Two) Sort your activities into the six lists.
- Urgent: to do now
- Less urgent: to schedule
- Less urgent: things to delegate
- Passion
- Things you’re not sure of
- Wasteful: things to stop doing
Carefully sort everything into the 6 categories making sure you rank things into thier true priority. Sometimes, despite all efforts, we end up with a huge list of urgent to-do now things. In which case, you will need to find a way to dig deeper and sort their true importance. There is always something that tips the scale to what becomes the true priority for that day, week, month, year.
- Three) Set a positive happy tone to your work each day.
Four) Passion lists are those things you love to do that you might not do often like, painting, writing a book, learning a new skill, doing yoga, higher education, and so on. This list keeps you focused on what it is you’d rather be doing. Call it a prop, an anchor, a reminder. Do not write your passion list into your schedule yet, only categorize it in the list.
I’ve seen this over and over in my career. People do things haphazardly with their own lives regardless of how organized they might be at work or for the family. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re a parent managing the family, a working parent, or a single person getting through college or climbing the ladder, business owner, or newlyweds,
Many don’t see a value in evaluating their own schedule, so they don’t. “I know what I do. I don’t need to review it, I just need to get it all done.” “I don’t’ need a list to tell me I’m off track.” “I’ve made lists and it’s a waste of time. ”
Habit change gets the most flack, especially with those who want to lose weight, get back to the gym, or exercise of some sort. When I suggest reading the Superpower Habits Course. I can have all the great points as to why they should, but, most people say, “Yeah, thanks, I got this, my friend did X and I just need to get back into my walking and running. I’m good.”
But sooner or later they are admitting something just isn’t working and we go right back to the beginning. We make the lists, sort the lists, take the courses and suddenly life moves forward.
If you feel unmotivated to make your lists, ask yourself these questions:
- “How long have you been wanting to lose weight?
- How many times have you started and stopped a program?
- How many times have you told yourself you’re in control?
- How many years has it been since you were happy with yourself in this area?
- Are you thinking, failure is in the past, I’ll just do it right this time?
EVALUATE FAILURE BEFORE DECIDING YOUR PLAN
If you have failed in the past over and over again, then the “You got this” doesn’t apply at the moment. You don’t know what you’re doing and it’s worth it to take an hour and do your homework.
Don’t be that person who even when pushed into a wall still doesn’t admit they have not succeeded in a decade, have started and stopped at least twice a year, are further from their goal weight and health than ever in their lives, but it’s okay, they got this.
This course is not a 45 minute feel good, fool you course. It has everything you need to find the success you want, but you have to go back to school. Homework.
And I prefer writing the list on my notes quickly but using a journal where you can handwrite, will give you a lot of deciding power. Writing by hand makes it easier to make changes to your existing activities, as it’s become more real in your mind seeing it in your journal.
