Tag Prioritized Daily Task List

Making the Most of Your Time

Steve Keating 2 Comments

We should probably get this out of the way up front. We can’t actually manage time. We can manage the events that use up our time. You should also know that no one on the planet has more time than you. We all get 1440 minutes a day. No more, no less.

People who think they are short on time are actually short on priorities. They treat most every “event” in their lives as a top priority not realizing that if everything is the top priority then nothing is. Managing the events that use up your time effectively is crucial for achieving your goals, reducing stress, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Here are some practical strategies to help you manage those events more effectively.

  • Set Clear Goals: Start by defining your short-term and long-term goals. Having a clear sense of what you want to achieve will help you prioritize tasks and allocate time accordingly.
  • Prioritize Tasks: Use techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix (urgent vs. important) to identify and prioritize tasks based on their significance and deadlines.
  • Create a prioritized task list: Make a daily or weekly prioritized task list to outline tasks you need to accomplish. Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps.
  • Time Blocking: Allocate specific time blocks for different tasks or activities. This helps you focus on one task at a time and prevents multitasking, which can reduce efficiency.
  • Use a Calendar: Utilize a digital or physical calendar to schedule appointments, meetings, and tasks. Sync it with your devices to stay updated and receive reminders.
  • Set Deadlines: Establish realistic deadlines for tasks to create a sense of urgency and maintain accountability.
  • Eliminate Distractions: Identify and minimize sources of distraction, such as turning off notifications, setting specific times for checking emails and social media, and creating a clutter-free workspace.
  • Batch Similar Tasks: Group similar tasks together and work on them during specific time blocks. This minimizes context switching and improves efficiency.
  • Use the Pomodoro Technique: Work intensely for a set period (e.g., 25 minutes) and then take a short break. Repeat this cycle to maintain focus and prevent burnout.
  • Delegate: If possible, delegate tasks that can be handled by others, freeing up your time for more critical responsibilities.
  • Learn to Say No: Politely decline tasks or commitments that don’t align with your goals or would overburden your schedule.
  • Set Time Limits: Allocate a specific amount of time for each task to avoid spending too much time on less important activities.
  • Review and Reflect: Regularly review your progress, assess what’s working and what isn’t, and adjust your time management strategies accordingly.
  • Use Technology Wisely: Utilize productivity apps, task managers, and tools like calendar reminders to help you stay organized and on track.

Effective time management isn’t as much about time as it is understanding your priorities. It is a skill that takes time to develop. Experiment with different strategies to find what works best for you, and be willing to adapt as your circumstances and goals evolve.

Remember, time is one of your most valuable assets. The more effectively you use it the more of it you’ll seem to have. You will seldom see a very successful person who doesn’t allocate their time well and if you do it’s likely they won’t be very successful for long.

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Procrastinators Have Too Much Patience

Steve Keating 12 Comments

Successful people know the difference between procrastination and patience. One simply wastes time and one provides the opportunity to think, reflect, plan, and adjust. 

Patience can be productive, procrastination can’t. If procrastination doesn’t kill your chances for success today then it most certainly will tomorrow or perhaps the next day. But it will get you sooner or later.

Despite popular opinion procrastination is not only a lazy person’s problem. Some very busy people struggle with it too. In fact, one of the very reasons they struggle with it is the fact they are too busy. They attempt to do more than is possible and overload their calendars day in and day out. Their calendars  get so full they have no idea where to start, so they frequently don’t actually get started. 

There has never been a time in history when more “tools” were available to help with the scourge of procrastination. You likely have one of those tools in your pocket… or your hand, this very moment. Yes, the very thing that “helps” us procrastinate, our smartphone, can help us stop. 

There are 100’s of apps available to help us be more productive. I’ve tried many of them but my current app of choice is the native “reminders” app on my iphone. It syncs with my laptop and iPad so I have pings and dings and little red numbers popping up all over. It’s annoying but it also has really helped.

I avoid any app that looks like a simple to-do list. I don’t know a single highly productive person that would go near a to-do list. If you use a to-do list and you think you’re highly productive then  I would tell you you’ll be much more productive when you ditch that liar of a tool. 

I call a to-do list a liar because it fools us into thinking that our “busyness” is the same as productivity. We check something off a to-do list and feel good about getting something done. The question is, should we have done it at all. Maybe and maybe not.

I highly recommend any app that allows you to create a Daily Prioritized Task List. This takes your to-do list to a whole new level. You now do things in order of their importance. That requires thought on how you will use your limited hours in a day. You must decide which of the many things you have “to-do” will provide you the biggest payback and force yourself to follow the prioritization. It may even require you to stop doing some less productive things.

Of course there are a couple of problems with all these apps: I can simply turn off my smartphone (highly unlikely) or just choose to ignore it. (highly likely) I’d bet most people reading this are a lot like me.

That’s why the very best tool to help you with your procrastinating tendencies is a tool that’s been around forever. The “tool” is called a mentor. These days some people call it a coach. 

No one climbs a mountain without a climbing partner and for many people climbing a mountain would be easier than overcoming procrastination. So find a coach or mentor and ask them to help you climb the mountain of procrastination. Share your prioritized daily task list and ask them to hold you accountable to tackle each task in order of it’s importance. 

Virtually every person I’ve ever met could accomplish more than they thought they could and virtually every person I’ve met needed someone to help them do it. The right mentor will remind you of the vast difference between procrastination and patience and never allow you to substitute busy for productive. 

Apps are great but they still can’t replace interaction with a human that has the capacity to care enough about you to truly hold you accountable. I hope they never will.