Sunday, November 20, 2005
A Positive Strategy for Keeping Up with the Flow
Organize my life in 43 Days (continued from 43 Things)
I’ve been following the FranklinCovey Focus program this month, and they had a few interesting things to say about TO DO lists.
TO Do lists are composed of everything you can think of that needs to be done. The beauty of it is that you can make it out on a Monday and it’s still good on Friday. When you’re done with something, you check it off with a big checkmark. Why? Because it feels good. Accomplishments = Endorphin Rush. If we do something that’s not on the list, we add it so we can check it off and feel the rush. It’s good to record what we’ve done and have a history of our accomplishments. The problem with To Do lists (which may not be the same with everyone) is that they’re typically made up of things we need to do just to keep our nose above the water. In other words, it’s a Survival List. It’s too big and high priority things rarely get on it.
Weekly Planning changes the first part of that because high priority things are already there. First we look at how our time is scheduled, look at the “big rocks,” then make a list JUST FOR TODAY. The idea is not to fill the day. For example, if you have a three-hour meeting, that leaves five hours left in the day. Rule of Thumb: Never plan for more than 65% of your time; high response positions (e.g., homeschool moms ;) should plan for even less, because at least 51% of your time is going to be spent in response.
Once the tasks are listed JUST FOR TODAY, very quickly put them in alphabetical order of value [i.e., how important is it JUST FOR TODAY (not longterm)] and then each set (ABC) in the numerical order (123) in which individual tasks will be done. Hint: There will be fewer A’s (biggest payoff/return on investment) than B’s (where we spend the majority of the day.)
Creating the list is one thing; doing it is another.
Power is the ability to act. – Anthony Robbins, Unlimited Power
In the world it is easy to live after the world’s opinions, and in solitude, it is easy to live after one’s own; but the great one is he who in the midst of a crowd, can keep with a perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
JUST FOR TODAY I will finish what I start. -- Messies Anonymous
The task list is created according to our values, roles, and goals. These things are not necessarily the easiest, but most important. The Weekly Plan represents the big rocks, i.e., highest priorities. In the rush of the day we have to have the courage to make the plan happen. Then we find the peace and control we are seeking.
Excellent online tutorials available at Franklin Covey Learning Center: http://www.franklincovey.com/fclearning/index.html
I’ve been following the FranklinCovey Focus program this month, and they had a few interesting things to say about TO DO lists.
TO Do lists are composed of everything you can think of that needs to be done. The beauty of it is that you can make it out on a Monday and it’s still good on Friday. When you’re done with something, you check it off with a big checkmark. Why? Because it feels good. Accomplishments = Endorphin Rush. If we do something that’s not on the list, we add it so we can check it off and feel the rush. It’s good to record what we’ve done and have a history of our accomplishments. The problem with To Do lists (which may not be the same with everyone) is that they’re typically made up of things we need to do just to keep our nose above the water. In other words, it’s a Survival List. It’s too big and high priority things rarely get on it.
Weekly Planning changes the first part of that because high priority things are already there. First we look at how our time is scheduled, look at the “big rocks,” then make a list JUST FOR TODAY. The idea is not to fill the day. For example, if you have a three-hour meeting, that leaves five hours left in the day. Rule of Thumb: Never plan for more than 65% of your time; high response positions (e.g., homeschool moms ;) should plan for even less, because at least 51% of your time is going to be spent in response.
Once the tasks are listed JUST FOR TODAY, very quickly put them in alphabetical order of value [i.e., how important is it JUST FOR TODAY (not longterm)] and then each set (ABC) in the numerical order (123) in which individual tasks will be done. Hint: There will be fewer A’s (biggest payoff/return on investment) than B’s (where we spend the majority of the day.)
Creating the list is one thing; doing it is another.
Power is the ability to act. – Anthony Robbins, Unlimited Power
In the world it is easy to live after the world’s opinions, and in solitude, it is easy to live after one’s own; but the great one is he who in the midst of a crowd, can keep with a perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
JUST FOR TODAY I will finish what I start. -- Messies Anonymous
The task list is created according to our values, roles, and goals. These things are not necessarily the easiest, but most important. The Weekly Plan represents the big rocks, i.e., highest priorities. In the rush of the day we have to have the courage to make the plan happen. Then we find the peace and control we are seeking.
Excellent online tutorials available at Franklin Covey Learning Center: http://www.franklincovey.com/fclearning/index.html
