What To Do When There's Too Much To Do by Laura Stack Read Free Book Online Page A

with accomplishment. Remember, they’re not necessarily synonymous.
    Making the correct choice “in the moment” requires a three-step process:
    1.
Clarity.
You have to know, in advance, what your priorities are for the day. Without a complete list of choices, you won’t have an accurate answer to the question “what’s next?” If you don’t have a HIT list, any choice will get you “there,” but “there” may actually be
nowhere
. If you already have a plan, you can execute toward it much more efficiently.
    2.
Discernment.
Assuming you know your priorities, judgment is the next step. At the exact moment you choose which fork in the road to take, evaluate which alternative will result in a better outcome (P1–P4). Checkmarks on a list aren’t equal; they have weight. If you could see results, one checkmark might look like a faint pencil mark, and another a broad stroke with a marker.
    3.
Discipline.
Once you make a choice between alternatives, self-control determines the outcome. Do you actually follow through on your good decisions? If you told yourself, “I should work on my strategic plan,” what would you do next: open the document, or open Facebook?
    Before you take a break between tasks, consider how long that choice may take you away from your work—and how it will affect your momentum.
    This three-step process can make the difference between a productive outcome, with results you’re proud of, and an unproductive one, where you feel like banging your head against the wall for yet another wasted day. These decision dilemmas happen to us hundreds of times a day. Choose wisely!
SUMMARY: PWF STEP 2 CHECKUP
    Once you’ve identified the critical few tasks you should focus on, you’ll need to find the time to do them. This process requires careful scheduling, whereby you assign appropriate time slots and durations for each appointment and task. In addition, you must make decisions quickly, learn to say no to unwelcome work, and control your meetings.
    Time management isn’t really time management, but self-management—your willingness to stop misusing time in ways that limit your productivity. In pursuit of this effort, establish routines to help you keep moving forward, and set realistic deadlines to decide when and how to accomplish each task.
    Once you’ve established a deadline for a particular task, calculate how much time you must work on the task each day. Then fit the time into your schedule according to the task’s priority, using the triage system from Chapter 1 . Emergencies and other crises aside, tasks generally fall into three scheduling categories:
    â€¢ “Have-to” items required by your job
    â€¢ Routine daily tasks
    â€¢ Items from your HIT list
    Further reduce your commitments in any way possible: by asking yourself and others, “How long will this take?” for each task; by applying the “availability caching” concept; and by turning down any work that you don’t want or can’t handle. Many of us have trouble turning people down, but you shouldlearn to do so effectively, so people won’t take advantage of you. Follow these guidelines:
    â€¢ Say no in an upbeat, positive way.
    â€¢ Don’t make empty promises.
    â€¢ Don’t apologize or explain yourself.
    â€¢ Negotiate as necessary.
    â€¢ Meet the other person halfway.
    â€¢ Be persistent and consistent.
    â€¢ Be crystal clear.
    â€¢ Don’t worry about someone’s feelings over your own needs.
    Last, many meetings are unnecessary, so find ways to trim as many as you can out of your schedule, and let people know you’re willing to do so. Finally, exercise clarity, discernment, and vision to make the correct choices “in the moment,” so you don’t waste valuable time by allowing yourself to be derailed between tasks.

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