Getting Things Done

How do you keep track of everything you need to do; OR, more importantly everything that you did do in a day?

Given our lives it is very easy to think that we have accomplished NOTHING in an entire day. We can go around moaning and groaning that the day got by us, that we had too many interruptions and that “something came up” as it always does.

I hate the feeling of not having accomplished anything in an entire day and to counteract that feeling I make a list. Every evening or first thing in the morning I will make a list in my journal of all things I need to accomplish whether it is work related or personal. My list may read something like:

1. Update boss on web ex, bridging and shared tech
2. Message to Pat re: Saturday
3. Review Conference Room proposal
4. Get gas
5. Fold laundry
6. Call Dr. Haas for November appt
7. Message to Bart & Kim re: November Finance Meeting

And throughout the day I will update it as more things come to mind that I need to do.

Why do I make the lists? Well, for one thing I am 56 and with that age comes a certain amount of forgetfulness. We have all gone into another room to get something and then not remembered what it was we went in for. Making a list enables me to capture those things I need to do or inform others of that day and not have that feeling of “what did I forget”. Also, at the end of the day I want to feel that I finished something - my job can be very nebulous because it is project based and those things take time to come to fruition – so the one way I can feel that I have finished something is to document the small steps.

This may be childish but upon having completed something I then give it a red check mark – at the end of the day I can see if I have finished everything or if I need to carry it over to my list for the next day. Believe me there are days when it appears the whole list is being carried over – that is okay – they are few and far between and there are reasons for the grand interruption in what I consider to be either my very “anal” or “OCD” life.

I also will put time aside on my calendar to complete things – whether it is a project or message that I need to get done and would prefer to do without interruptions. I find that if I put aside time on my calendar to do something I am more likely to focus on it and do it. For example, my entire yearly workouts are in my calendar and propagated onto my Blackberry.

Now, those other things – even my weekends have a sense of purpose. I am one of those individuals who hates to go out again once I am home from completing errands. So Friday mornings once I am done at the gym, I will generally stop by the cleaners, bank and grocery store before coming home. Likewise, if I need to do errands on my way home I will do them all before heading home – on Wednesday, on my way home I got gas, went to the Post Office and stopped by the grocery store.

This past Sunday I blocked out time in my calendar to go to the gym for my Zumba class, and then to stop by the Mall to visit Hallmark’s to buy individual family Christmas cards. From there I will stopped by the Cleaners to pick up my clothes and to drop off some others, then to Barnes & Noble to buy calendars for Christmas gifts to the family and friends – and now home. I will be out of the house at 8AM and not back until about noon; but, everything will have been done and now I can relax for the remainder of the day.

Red check marks will appear on my journal and on my Christmas list as I mark off the calendars I have bought for individuals. Tonight as I send this out to you I am reviewing the tasks that I wanted to accomplish this weekend and I can feel a sense of peace that I got them all done.

Remember: Take Pride in Completing the Small Things.