Last time, we talked about the 4 Things Theory and how to apply that. It’s based on the premise that if you focus on doing 4 specific things a day that move you forward then you will progress more easily.
There are, however, times when you need to do more than the 4 things. There are regular tasks that need to be done, like your annual tax return, that won’t go away and must be completed. Today we continue my notes from a talk by Helen Raptoplous.
- Take time to make a list of what you need to do consistently to move forward. Set up a schedule to make sure they get done.
- Daily – what are the essentials you need to do daily?
- Weekly – what tasks need to get done once a week?
- Monthly – what needs to be done once a month?
- These might be routine tasks to keep ahead of the game such as reconciling accounts or submitting expense reimbursement claims, or they may be actions which will propel you ahead by doing them consistently and regularly without fail by making them part of your routine
- Plan ‘extreme focus sessions’ each week to work on bigger plans and projects. Block out a period from 45 minutes to 3 hours where you focus on bigger plans. Do up to 3 such blocks a week.
- Set aside 1 to 2 days per month where you do not take calls, see clients or get distracted in any way. This is the time to work ON your business or career. Take this time to p-l-a-n, work on those ideas you’ve had, or build systems that will reduce effort over time. It’s best to schedule this at the end of the month or the beginning of the month. It’s a time to ask yourself “did I do my best last month?”, then put in place better plans and actions to make improvements
So, there’s the plan for being more productive.
- Work on your 4 Things
- When they’re done, do your consistent tasks
- Do you planning/systems day/s
- Each month, review the prior month and set up your next month to be even better!
Next, I’ll give you my view on the system presented and share with you one key ingredient that makes it work better.
Wow! This is thorough and organised – I need both!
To do my accounts every week would be so much better than four weeks of panic when I do nothing but my accounts. I like the idea of including accounts in my weekly “to do” list.
I’ll be back..
Shan
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