Time management is a myth.
Everyone has the same amount of time in a day. Time on earth is where we will differ. What you do with that that time is still self-managed. Staying disciplined to use your time effectively is where the misnomer of time management is used as an excuse. Let us use prioritization instead of time management. Use systems to help with your prioritization. Refine your system, if you don’t have enough time. Use your systems to help you save time.
For example: If you have two tasks to do and it will take you only five minutes per task, are you disciplined enough to allow time in your routine to finish the project? Or are you going to take all day or eight hours to complete two five-minute tasks?
Prioritize
When you prioritize your things to do, Your time management problem will go away.
Instead of managing your time. Prioritize it.
What are the priority level of the tasks?
Are they critical to get done right now?
How important are the tasks to complete?
How many tasks do you need to complete, and when are they due?
Spend time with the most important critical tasks and send the least critical tasks to the bottom of the list and batch them. Prioritize your day with a routine through the importance level of your tasks, and your time management problem just went away. Get hard tasks done first.
The philosophy of prioritization is based on the idea that not all tasks are created equal and that it is important to identify and focus on the most important tasks in order to achieve the best results. The key principle of prioritization is to make sure that the tasks that have the greatest impact on achieving one's goals and objectives are given the highest priority and attention.
Prioritization involves making conscious decisions about how to allocate one's time, resources, and energy to the tasks that matter most. This often involves taking a step back, evaluating the big picture, and identifying the tasks that will have the most significant impact on achieving one's goals.
There are several different approaches to prioritization, but the most effective ones usually involve some combination of the following:
Identifying goals and objectives: Prioritization starts with clearly defining what you want to achieve and identifying the most important tasks that will help you get there.
Categorizing tasks: Once you have a list of tasks, categorize them according to their importance and urgency. This can help you focus on the most critical tasks first.
Assessing impact: Prioritization requires evaluating the potential impact of each task on your goals and objectives. This helps you determine which tasks are most valuable and should be prioritized accordingly.
Considering time constraints: Prioritization also involves considering the time required to complete each task and prioritizing tasks accordingly. This means allocating more time to high-priority tasks and less time to low-priority tasks.
Focusing on the most important tasks: Ultimately, the philosophy of prioritization is about focusing your time and energy on the tasks that will have the greatest impact on achieving your goals. This means making conscious decisions to say "no" to lower-priority tasks and focusing on what matters most.
Prioritization is about focusing on the most important tasks to achieve the best results. It requires identifying goals and objectives, categorizing tasks, assessing impact, considering time constraints, and focusing on the most important tasks.
Ivy Lee Method
Charles Schwab was an American businessman and investor who was born in 1862 and died in 1939. He was the president of Bethlehem Steel Corporation, one of the largest steel manufacturers in the United States, and is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern management.
The story goes that one day, Charles Schwab was approached by a productivity consultant named Ivy Lee who promised to help him increase his efficiency. Schwab was skeptical at first, but he decided to give Lee a chance.
Lee proposed a simple method that involved writing down six important tasks to be completed the next day in order of priority. Schwab was then instructed to work on the first task until it was completed before moving on to the next task. If he didn't finish a task, he was to move it to the top of the list for the next day.
Schwab implemented this method and found that it greatly improved his productivity. He was able to focus on the most important tasks and get more done in less time. He was so impressed with the results that he sent Lee a check for $25,000, which was a considerable amount of money at the time.
The six actions that Schwab was instructed to do in one day were as follows:
Write down the six most important tasks to be completed the next day.
Arrange the tasks in order of priority.
Start working on the first task first thing in the morning.
Work on each task until it is completed before moving on to the next task.
If a task is not completed, move it to the top of the list for the next day.
Repeat the process every day to stay focused on the most important tasks.
This simple method became known as the "Ivy Lee Method" and has since been widely adopted by people looking to improve their productivity. It highlights the importance of focusing on the most important tasks, rather than getting bogged down in minor details or distractions, and of setting clear priorities to guide daily work.
Why
There are several advantages to having a to-do list:
Organization: A to-do list helps you stay organized by keeping track of tasks that need to be completed.
Prioritization: A to-do list allows you to prioritize tasks based on their importance or deadline, helping you focus on the most critical tasks first.
Productivity: A to-do list can increase productivity by providing a clear outline of tasks to be completed, helping you stay on track and accomplish more in less time.
Reduced Stress: A to-do list can help reduce stress and anxiety by providing a clear plan for tackling tasks, preventing the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Sense of Accomplishment: Crossing off completed tasks on a to-do list provides a sense of accomplishment, boosting motivation and confidence.
We can agree that to-do lists are important to write down the things that we need to do and keep us on track. But how will we get this done? To-do lists are suggestions of things you have to do. Let's change the name to To Get Done List.
Like the Ivy Lee Method but we with the focus on getting thing done. To-do is too presumptuous. I prefer to more definitive. To get done is just that.
Download your copy of a get done list here
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