Getting things done … one list at a time
I'm not going to lie. This column was turned in late. I had it on my “to do” list last week, but I knew it wasn't due until this week so I kept prioritizing other things, even though I truly enjoy doing this. I also knew that my assigned deadline wasn't really the drop-dead deadline, so then I pushed it a little more. Like many people, I work best with a deadline, but I'll always push my boundaries.
Still, I have been in positions that don't provide me with clear deadlines at all, so I need to create them myself to propel me forward toward my goals. This is also the case with business owners. One of the joys of being a business owner is that you get to create your work deadlines. One of the big challenges is the same thing.
Some deadlines are builtin for business owners. Things like paying taxes or payroll, making sales calls or ordering inventory are on a schedule. Some things, including addressing difficult issues with an employee, updating a business plan or maintaining social networking posts can be critical business activities that don't have a built-in schedule. I know very few business owners who waste time. There's always so much to do when you run a business that it's easy to find ways to avoid things that are uncomfortable, overwhelming or just have an unclear direction. Those are often the things that help address persistent pain-points and allow for business growth.
Author Oliver Burkeman writes quite a bit about productivity. His book “4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals” speaks a little about daily productivity, but it also asks more philosophical questions about priorities.
He says we shouldn't stop procrastinating, but we should get better at it. “You have got to say, `I am focusing on these three things now, and I will move to the others later.' It takes guts not to multitask, but this is the best way to accomplish more.”
He also suggests keeping two task lists: one for every task, big and small that can include upwards of 50 items; and another that has about five items that are your priorities. You can move new items to the priority list only after you take one off. These priorities can include some of those important tasks that don't have natural deadlines.
The exception to putting something on a to-do list includes those activities that he calls two-minute tasks. He says that if you have a task that will take two minutes or less, you should just do it rather than put it on a list. We often spend more time planning to do a task than it actually takes to do it. (I know I'm not the only one who drives around with thrift store donations for months before dropping them off, then wondering why I waited so long!)
Ultimately, though, Burkeman reminds us that we simply won't get everything done that we need to do. We only have an average of 4,000 weeks in our life after all. We need to accept that and make time for ourselves, for family, for fun and for doing nothing at all. Making sure that we include our well-being in our list of priorities will ultimately lead to better results professionally and personally.