What happens when I don’t have a plan for the day? I go through the motions. Of course, I get stuff done, but I also check my phone, watch a little television, piddle here, and piddle there. There is no rush, no sense of urgency, and no accountability at the end of the day.
What happens when I create a plan at the start of the day, or even better, the night before? I am focused and intent on checking off the boxes. I waste less time. At the end of the day, with tasks crossed off the list, I rest at ease knowing I made the most of it. Oh, the satisfaction if I get that list done.
But then, there are times I make the list and do not have the end results I hoped for. Somewhere along the way, I got sidetracked. I deviated from the plan. I started doing other stuff, stuff that was not on the list. If I had a quality list of items that held great importance, then I should have done those. If this is what mattered most, then I should have attacked it first.
Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
If you want to take your productivity to the next level, if you want to get the things that matter the most done, then do the following:
- Make the list. Not “a” list but “the” list of the most important items you want to complete.
- Start early and get it done. If other things come up, and they will come up, add them to another list or put them at the bottom.
Wow! There are only two steps. It is not difficult, but often the basics and the simple are the things that get missed the most. There are some great resources to make your planning super-advanced and technical, but they all have the same two things in common: Make a list, and Get it done.
Feature photo by Emma Matthews Digital Content Production on Unsplash
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