A habit to master your to-do list

Posted on by Matthew Laker

A habit to master your to-do list 

The problem with our to-do list is they get disorganized. We can look at all that needs to be done and feel overwhelmed. We can lose focus. We can start our week running, but end up doing a task or focusing on a project in the wrong order.  

I was listening to a talk by Zig Ziglar who said 

Each Sunday night, I take time to do two things. 

 First, in 2019, my wife and I started to meet Sunday afternoon or night, and we would review the week coming up. We take a look at what appointments are happening and when one of us is in or out. It allows us to be on the same page and know what to expect. It does not mean things do not change, but it gets us a game plan and gets us on the same page. 

Second, I pull away again just by myself to review my work week. I consider my projects and people I need to meet with that week.  I ask what is leftover from the last week and reorganize the to-do list for the coming week. I even take the time to schedule some of those tasks. For example, I have an office day that some tasks are better to do then. So I schedule them as an appointment.  

The reorganizing allows me to say ok these are my first things to do this week. 

Do you want to master your to-do list?

Take the time to do a weekly review. It does not have to belong. Try it this week. 

1)Schedule a time 

2) At the time set a timer for 15 min.  

3) Review the week and organize the to-do list. 

I have found the weekly review to be of great value in helping master my to-do list. 

Time management a road to the life you want (part 1)

Posted on by Matthew Laker

Personal time Management will help you enter, engage, and experience what you were created for.

night sky and tree600x427As I journey with people, one of top tensions or challenges in people’s lives is related to how we spend our time. Many feel stressed out as they hack away at the “to do list” and responsibilities in life.

In my personal journey, and as I have walked with people, working harder is not going to help. Working smarter will help you move.

Try one of these suggestions and you just may start to see improvement. You could also work through each one step by step to steward the time you have.

1. What is important to you?

Take some time and answer this question.

2. Prioritize your work.

Let’s start right now. Break your day down into three phases. Copy the table below into a document or write it down somewhere.

What are the have-to’s in each of those slots? Fill it in.

 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Sat.

Sun.

Morning

              

Afternoon

              

Night

              

You may need to create a work table and a home life table. When at work, what are the priorities on Monday morning? What is a reasonable expectation of the tasks you can complete?

Other questions to ask:

· Over the next 6 weeks what are the 6 things only I can do that have to get done. Post it somewhere you will see it.

· Today what are the 5 things I will do (perhaps if they are big task it can be less)

3. To do list for the day.

Organize that list into a first priority, and second and so on. What can wait and are ongoing projects? As you approach the day this will help you know what needs to be done. Put your to-do list into your calendar. Actually schedule each hour.

Example: At 2:00, I will work on such and such a task.

4. Focus on one project and finish it.

You will increase your effectiveness if you can focus longer on one project:

“multitasking may seem efficient on the surface but may actually take more time in the end and involve more error. Meyer has said that even brief mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone’s productive time.” (Joshua Rubinstein, PhD, Jeffrey Evans, PhD, and David Meyer, PhD, http://www.apa.org/research/action/multitask.aspx)

So finish one project.

Personal time Management will help you enter, engage, and experience what you were created for.