|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You start each week with great intentions. You are determined to get a grip of your workload. You are determined to write a to do list, you even promise yourself that you will stick to it and use it and reprioritise each day so that you finish what you want to every day.
But yet again by Wednesday afternoon life, stuff and your habits have made your Monday morning intentions seem a distant memory and you are back in fire fighting mode with a longer to do list and feeling even more overwhelmed by what you have to do.
Well have you ever stopped to think that it is your to do list that is the problem?
* Perhaps you are not a to do list person?
* Perhaps your to do list has the wrong things on it
* Perhaps your to do list is causing your fire fighting reactions?
Could there be another way to manage your workload? Could there be a better way for you to prioritise? Could there be a better habit for you to adopt?
What if you made one simple mind shift? What if you focused on "to achieve" instead of "to do"?
This mind shift requires that you look at results, goals and achievements rather than individual activities and tasks. To do lists focus on "NOW" and tend to allow reactive decisions. To achieve planning focuses on "RESULTS" and encourages proactive thinking.
You may have a to do list that has items which you consider urgent and you may have items on there that you consider important. It is that distinction that is critical when prioritising what you actually do on a day to day basis.
Is it more important that you react to all your emails as soon as they arrive or is it more important that you keep your regular progress meetings with your team members? Is it more important that you take focused time to plan your sales strategy for the next quarter or is it more important that you react to every phone call?
Only you can determine what is REALLY important and what is important and urgent. This is the way to decide what you need to focus on each day and this is the way to decide "in the heat of the moment" whether you need to stop what you are doing to focus on something else.
"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
©2005 Beverley Hamilton
About The Author
Beverley Hamilton is the author of Take Control of Your Time: 7 Straight Shooter Strategies for Success. To learn more, subscribe to Quickstart her free ezine and get more tips, tools and articles visit at One Step Further
NOTE: You're welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered including the "about the author" information at the end.
Remember when you charged into the office that first day,... Read More
(This is the second in a series of three articles... Read More
? Are you embarrassed when you walk into your home... Read More
Have you ever heard that having a cluttered home can... Read More
I talk about the mail a lot in my newsletter,... Read More
Recently, in an online group, we talked about "balance" and... Read More
In a speech entitled "Organized Living in a Disorganized World"... Read More
'A well-ordered life is like climbing a tower; the view... Read More
I'm sure most of you have heard of Zig Ziglar... Read More
What method do you currently use to organize your family?... Read More
Everytime Mary had to find a file on her computer,... Read More
De-Cluttering our lives can be an extremely liberating exercise. There... Read More
I recently conducted a survey to look at the relationship... Read More
If you look at any major organisation, there is this... Read More
Ever wonder how they do it? How a short-order cook... Read More
What's in a Name?Everything.What do you do with all the... Read More
Much of my time as a Professional Organizer is spent... Read More
The Mexican VillagerThe American investment banker was at the pier... Read More
How to do keep track of all you have to... Read More
I have a good friend whom (also being in the... Read More
To want in one's heart to do a thing for... Read More
1. Divide big jobs into smaller jobs. Make a list... Read More
Spring?. Fresh breezes through open windows, sleeping trees come awake... Read More
An organized living lifestyle can cause you to weed out... Read More
Every day I find junk mail waiting for me, whether... Read More
Sometimes major life lessons come from the most unlikely of... Read More
Keeping on task and getting organized starts with a basic... Read More
It may be difficult to relate saving money with organization... Read More
Coping with clutter is rarely easy. There's more involved than... Read More
Home organization isn't just for neat-nicks or those drawn toward... Read More
Do you feel like you are running around in circles,... Read More
One of the most basic ways to find papers when... Read More
There are 3 kinds of clutter: Inner (between our ears);... Read More
Getting and staying organized is critical to achieving your goals.... Read More
When the things in your home start crowding in around... Read More
Feeling Overwhelmed and Unorganized? - How to Use Index Cards... Read More
Life is really all about CHANGE. In order to make... Read More
What do you gain if you SIMPLIFY?Dictionary* says:to reduce to... Read More
Digging out from under stacks of paper might seem like... Read More
Clutter in any area of your home is a sign... Read More
The National Association of Professional Organizers has dedicated January to... Read More
Worried because you're moving soon? This really doesn't have to... Read More
We are in a society where people are applauded for... Read More
Spring is here and the garage door is open. This... Read More
Many people have a huge challenge coping with the incoming... Read More
The Mexican VillagerThe American investment banker was at the pier... Read More
So you've decided to get organized, but you just don't... Read More
In many of the companies I have worked in, there... Read More
What does "time" have to do with getting organized? Everything!... Read More
Whoever thought you'd be able to get organized in just... Read More
Get Organized - Organization |