Calendar Driven To-Do List

This week we dive into a time management strategy I call “Calendar-Driven To-Do Lists.” You know I’m a huge fan of To-Do List's… and I’m guessing you are too. To-Do lists can help us focus, get more done and implement like ninjas!!! BUT there’s a dangerous side to To-Do lists too. They can work FOR you… but if they’re done wrong… they can work AGAINST you. In this episode… we dive in a 3-step process for keeping your To-Do list working FOR you… so that you can end the day feeling like you have gas left in the tank, feeling satisfied with what you have accomplished AND feeling great about tomorrow!   RESOURCES MENTIONED: Reminders App Asana App     [Tweet "“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” – Zig Ziglar"]   So… we’re all busy… but if you’re listening to DREAM THINK DO… that also means that you’re all about going after your dreams… your goals… your passions. BUT we all have the same 24 hours in a day… whether we have 2 bucks or 2 billion… we all have 24 hours. The key is to figure out the best way to use your 24! We’re going to be using TWO tools. The calendar and the to-do list. We’re going to start with the to-do list and then we’ll talk about the calendar. NOTE: You can use a paper system… but it’s a little more challenging. I’d suggest using an electronic version… like Asana. SIDE NOTE: A key is being able to see the tasks you have accomplished AND the tasks you still need to accomplish. You gotta have the satisfaction of checking those things off the list. STEP 1: If you’re using an app… (and I highly encourage that) this is your first step. Create a “Main To-Do List.” This is where you can dump all the things you need to do in one spot. THEN… STEP 2: Now, I want you to take the next step and create some new categories (or projects… depending on your app) for each day of the week: MON TUES WED THURS FRI WEEKEND   Now… you can start this process at any time… but it’s best if you can plan for tomorrow… today. So if it’s Thursday as you listen to this… you can implement right away but start by planning for Friday. So you can get the process in place for tomorrow and get ready to wake up clear and ready to go. NEXT… Start thinking about tomorrow. As you look at your “Main To-Do list,” think about what’s most important… what’s most urgent… and what needs to get done tomorrow. Move the things from your “Main List” over to your Friday list. STEP 3: THE CALENDAR NOW… comes our second tool… and STEP 3: your calendar. As we look at the items on our to-do list for Friday… I want you to find a specific time on your calendar and make an appointment with yourself to get those things done. For the bigger… more important projects… block out a specific time and name it. (ie. 9 to 10 am for Project X and 11 to noon for Project Y.) Now… I know some of you don’t have total control over your calendar. So other people may be able to schedule things without your control… and/or you might have a lot of people who can see your calendar… and if so… that sucks… but it’s a reality. So if it’s not appropriate for you to name a specific task on your calendar… then you can block out time for “ADMIN” or “STRATEGY” or IMPLEMENTATION. Use whatever term would be best in your organization. BUT… if you don’t have to deal with that… your calendar is your own… then don’t worry about it. Get specific. Find a time block for each larger task. As you think about the type of project or task and ask yourself: “What’s the best time of day to do this kind of task?” For example, for me: It’s best if I do content creation (creative writing, podcast prep, training prep) in the mornings. Then I’m better with being a part of meetings in the afternoon. Also… I do “time bundling.” So, Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be for my coaching clients.