by Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
Our to-do list has started to become a guilt list constantly getting longer and a reminder of what we have not achieved. The problem with the to-do list is it has become a collection tool but does not provide any clarity in terms of order of importance of tasks and what truly needs our focus to achieve our goals.
A to-do list is simply the things you think you need to do; the first thing on your list is just the first thing you thought of. To-do lists inherently lack the intent of success. In fact, most to-do lists are just survival lists—getting you through your day and your life, but not making each day a stepping-stone for the next so that you sequentially build a successful life.
Our calendars, on the other hand, make the perfect tool to guide our daily accomplishments. Because our calendars are finite; there are only a certain number of hours in a day. As will become instantly clear the moment we try to cram an unrealistic number of things into limited spaces.
So, once you’ve got your list of things to do, take your calendar and schedule those things into time slots, placing the hardest and most important items at the beginning of the day. And by “the beginning of the day,” I mean, if possible, before even checking your email. That will make it most likely that you’ll accomplish what you need to and leave you feeling you have owned your day, not that your day has owned you.
If you really want to get something done, decide when and where you are going to do it. The rule is ‘If it gets scheduled, it gets done’. And that needs to include everything from work to personal commitments. You can’t wake up and then decide when you are going to fit that exercise, yoga or doctor’s appointment. Your calendar should be sacred territory. If you write something there, it must get done that day or not at all.
Most of the time we feel put of balance because we always appear last on our list and then keep bumping ourselves lower down until we don’t feature at all. Here are some guidelines to maximise your scheduling:
- Enter A-priority tasks first, then put B-priority tasks in the remaining time slots.
- Schedule activities that require creativity and energy during the time of day when you tend to be most alert and energetic. Schedule routine tasks during low-energy periods.
- Leave some blocks of time unscheduled to accommodate unexpected crises, opportunities, and serendipitous exchanges with your colleagues, peers, or direct reports.
- Avoid back-to-back meetings. You need time after each meeting to process the information and execute action items.
- Consolidate tasks such as e-mail, paperwork, banking and phone calls when possible. For example, set aside 9:00-9:30 AM and 4:30-5:00 PM for these tasks. Consolidating tasks usually reduces the total time required to do them by eliminating start-up and switching time.
- Schedule me time daily – and make it guilt free me time.
Ask yourself, “Is that a dream or a goal?” If it isn’t on the calendar, it isn’t real.
The strategy of scheduling helps us make time for the things that are most important to us. How we schedule our days is how we spend our lives so make sure it reflects the person you want to be and the life you want to love.
Here’s to owning your calendar,
Warm wishes,
Lori
LORI MILNER is the engaging facilitator, thought leader and mentor known for her insightful approach to being a modern corporate woman. Her brainchild, the successful initiative Beyond the Dress, is the embodiment of her passion to empower women. Beyond the Dress has worked with South Africa’s leading corporates and empowered hundreds of women with valuable insight on how to bridge the gap between work and personal life. Clients include Siemens, Massmart, Alexander Forbes, Life Healthcare Group, RMB Private Bank and Unilever to name a few. Lori has co-authored Own Your Space: The Toolkit for the Working Woman in conjunction with Nadia Bilchik, CNN Editorial Producer. Own Your Space provides practical tools and insights gleaned from workshops held around the world and from interviews with some of South Africa’s most accomplished women to provide you with tried-and-tested techniques, tips and advice to help you boost your career, enhance your confidence and truly own your space on every level. Own Your Space is the ultimate ‘toolkit’ to unleash your true power. It’s for the woman who wants to take her career to new heights and who is ready to fulfil her true potential.
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