Want to know a secret? Using “to-do” lists helps productivity and effectiveness. But like a chocolate Babushka doll, the more you open up, the more sweeties you find.
Your list of tasks is a good start. You may have a few, or hundreds of items to do.
In another post I will cover how to “sort” them to identify the ones to do (today or this week), do even later, delegate or dump. (Or transfer to a special file in case you run out of important things.)
So – you ready?
Here it is: Transfer your to do list to your calendar. Then use your calendar to determine what you will work on, for how long.
This single step will multiply your effectiveness. But you MUST follow your calendar. (Most of the time). This means you must carve out blocks of time for getting important things done or created.
You cannot create without space for things to grow. Create space in your diary, and use that. 90 minute blocks are ideal for me. One or even two per day, or even a half-day blocked off each week will give you the space – but USE it as your diary guides you.
And because of the additional step of considering your list, then allocating a specific length of time for each task – you avoid the peril of Parkinson’s Law. (Work expands to fill the allocated time).
Hack away!
James