Do you add so many tasks to your to-do list that it becomes harder to keep up as the days creep on? Many people have this challenge, especially with so much pressure to do more in less time.
Most leaders keep up (or try to keep up) with urgent activities, such as client-related deadlines, internal deliverables, or follow-up meetings. If you have a deadline, you’re more likely to get it done.
Items that are important but not urgent can fall through the cracks, especially when you have a boatload of deadlines. These actions include things such as planning, keeping in touch with key people, or networking.
Consistency makes a huge difference for these activities. You get stuck because the activity seems bigger than it needs to be. Let’s take “planning”—sometimes it seems too big and amorphous.
Instead, for example, think about “daily planning”. Take five minutes at the end of your workday to identify the top three things that you need to accomplish the next day. You’ll be more focused immediately at the beginning of the day and likely to be more productive as a result.
You can keep in touch with key people, for example, by contacting one person a day or three people a week. Put these activities as priorities in your calendar, and you’ll likely have more success than having them sit at the bottom of an overburdened to do list.
An additional benefit is that you can pass this planning strategy along to your team members, thereby giving them the opportunity to increase their efficiency and productivity as well.
The key is consistency. Start small to gain momentum, and before you know it you will have accomplished more and feel like you’re in control of what’s important to you, rather than feeling hostage to your to-do list.
“What would life be like if we had no courage to attempt anything?”
– Vincent Van Gogh
Header image by Karola G/Pexels.
