It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)
GETTING STUFF DONE
We've been talking about different elements of a start-up organization. Last week we talked about defining "What's Important Now?".
Today, I'm going to need some help.
All the planning, preparation, prioritizing and practice mean nothing if you don't figure out how to GET STUFF DONE.
Some of us are much more comfortable talking about things instead of doing them.
I'd like to take this week and next week to share some PRODUCTIVITY TIPS. These are things you do on a regular basis that help you to GET THINGS DONE.
I'll give you a couple of examples today, then I'd like you to write in with your ideas that we can share.
Here are 3 things I do on a regular basis:
#1) I WRITE STUFF DOWN
I've talked about journaling before, but I've found that when I put an idea down on paper, I than am able to think about it. I use 2 tools:
First, I have an old-fashioned journal and I write in it. I have 2 sections in my journal... one is for Spiritual Conversation, and the second is Work Conversation. I write ideas, questions, concerns, brainstorms, and anything else I'm thinking about. Many times I write these things down in the morning, as I wake up thinking.
The second tool I use is Evernote. Evernote is an app that I have on all of my devices, and it works as a filing cabinet. I write ideas when I think of them, and file them away. The great thing is that they are saved across my devices, and they are easy to find, retrieve and access. If I stop on a walk to write a note down, I can then open it on my computer.
#2) I SCHEDULE MY DAY (or part of a day)
I use a simple sheet that I've been using for a long time called "Todays Plan". You can find it HERE, and there's an EXPLANATION SHEET as well.
With this, I simply make a list of the things I need to accomplish and I schedule them in my day. Sometimes I schedule the full day, a block of time, or a partial day, but again, I use an old-fashioned piece of paper and I work off the sheet. This makes it very easy to see what I accomplish in a day and what I need to carry over to get done.
#3) I TRACK MY TIME
This is a new tool that I'm using. It's an app called CLOCKIFY. This is a time-tracking tool that helps me define where I'm spending my time. This works great if you are juggling large projects, or if you are working for different organizations and need to create some boundaries. I use it to learn how long repeatable tasks take to complete. An example: I'm editing a series of training videos, so I tracked how long it took me to complete the first one, and now I can schedule the right amount of time for the other 7 videos I need to do. It's easy to let things "steal" your time. This helps me see where my time is going.
I often challenge people to do a TIME AUDIT and simply write down what they do every 30-minutes for 2 weeks. If you're honest, this will give you a real picture of where you're spending time, both in good ways and in bad ways. It will help you make better decisions.
These are 3 of my "TOOLS" that I use on a regular/daily basis.
Share one or two of yours: APPS, Tools, Tips, things that help you to GET STUFF DONE. Keep it under 100 words, and I'll share as many as I can next week!
We're talking about getting the things done that you need to get done: How to Execute. How to Follow-Through. How to Get Things Accomplished.
Let's help each other with some practical ideas that actually work!
Send them to me HERE russellcline@gmail.com
"The best way to get things done is to simply begin." Unknown
"Life is short. Do stuff that matters." Siqi Chen
"Being busy means doing stuff, being productive means getting stuff done." Unknown
Things I'm Reading, Listening To, an Watching This Week:
David Allens book, "Getting Things Done" is a classic on productivity. Everyone should read this book.
Kevin Kruse wrote this book, "15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management." There are some great ideas here.
Don Henley of the Eagles is one of my favorite musicians, song writers and drummers. I enjoyed listening to his album, Cass Country, which goes back to his country roots.
OK. Many of you know that orange is my favorite color. If you've visited my office, you've seen these on my desk. I use file folders, ORANGE FILE FOLDERS to keep papers and copies that need to be stored. I don't keep a lot of paper, but when I do, it goes in an orange file folder!
During a LifePlan last week, I had one of these Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cliff Bars. This was a FIND! Try them out sometime!