This is how you get things done. Be like the Jack Baur team.
Lots of ways to get things done. Here’s what I do. Many students who come through my classes haven’t been taught to prioritize their work to things get done. Hopefully this helps you out.
I learned this when my girlfriend (who is my wife now) enrolled me in a time management workshop. I was hesitant at first, but I went ahead with it and almost 15 years later, I still use the techniques I learned in that class, but through the years, have created a modified version of it, and it works for me. I confess that I don’t do this all the time, but if its important and I need to get it done, I always bust this out.
But before you start, you must follow two simple rules:
- Keep a sketchbook, notepad, blog, iphone text, anything that you can write in. Make it accessible and keep it with you.
- Look at this everyday for 5 minutes before you start the day and at the end of the day.
Step 1: Write Everything Down:
Write down everything you have to do, no matter how silly or how important. This step, if you don’t do anything else, will make you feel better. This is because its gives you a sense of control of your day and the events you have lined up before you. If you don’t do this, the events during the day will control you. If you have to take out the trash, mow, write a report, post to a blog, everything…write it down. Then you prioritize so you know which items to do first.
Step 2: Prioritize: Label everything A, B, or C.
- A = This is urgent, if I don’t do this, something bad will happen.
- B = I should do this today – its still important.
- C = Not important – I could do this today.
- If you may have multiple A’s B’s and C’s. Simply number them 1, 2, 3 etc. and get to work, working on A priorities first.
Step 3: When you complete a task MARK or strike it OFF the list.
This feels great. There’s nothing better than looking back on your previous days and seeing what you’ve completed.
NOW, items that aren’t completed, get moved to the next day.
Step 4: Do this whole process again the next day.
BTW: The reason for the 24 pic above is because I’m impressed with the way that entire team operates. Minus the drama, they are efficient, prioritize and they get things done. I thought this would be a good illustration for the ideas expressed in this post.
