I’ve tried numerous ways to keep track of all my to-do’s. Each method offers advantages and disadvantages, depending upon our personal likes and dislikes. For instance, I hate to file paperwork. Once I finally get myself doing it, it’s never is as bad as I felt it would be and it normally takes me less time than I thought it would. It turns out my procrastination makes a mountain out of a molehill, to use an old phrase.
You and I both know there are certain things we absolutely must do as part of our work. Some of those things have the added pressure of drop-dead deadlines. I am the type of person who actually excels with deadlines. I find myself more organized, better at prioritizing, and much more focused.
When I have a deadline that has dire consequences if not met … such as not getting insurance enrollment forms to the carrier in time so insurance coverage isn’t delayed another 30 days or sending stock option repurchase letters out in time so the purchase agreement isn’t negated by the company’s lack of action … I always successfully meet the challenge. What I find exhilirating about those deadlines is the almost tunnel-vision focus it gives me. Suddenly I have no problem putting some of my other to-do’s on the back burner.
What’s interesting about those back burner items is that, depending on my schedule, some of them never do get completed. And you know what, it’s okay. Because we all have items that would be "nice" to do but aren’t critical to our work. It’s actually developed into a variation of a time management system for me.
Once you start realizing that your world or business won’t fall apart without certain things being done, you find yourself opening up that crack a little wider and letting more things fall through it. We can’t do everything so we need to choose how we’re going to spend our time.
Which of your to-do’s are going to save you time or money, earn you money, create a pipeline … which will actually affect your bottom line or future? That’s what to focus on. What about those other things? Ask yourself what’s the worse that can happen if they aren’t done. Strangely enough, I find that if a to-do was really important it seems to come back around to my attention at a future date where I can better see the need and find a reason for completing it.
Don’t let the little stuff bury you! If it’s not going to affect your job or business, it’s probably busy work that could be replaced with something that has a more positive effect on your life.
