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Welcome to Day 2 of 7 Days To Better Productivity & Time Management.
Today’s task will take about 1 hour.
Today we’ll learn a secret that will help you escape one of – if not the – biggest time-management traps there is.
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the overwhelming theme for my priorities was health and happiness of myself and my family members. i actually went one further and put comments of how i could achieve this..example making green smoothies for us all, making a point to discuss my children’s day, helping my husband with decisionmaking..working on my personal development so I can achieve fulfillment in all areas of my life.
I’m totally overwhelmed with to many tasks to focus on. Sometimes I walk around in circles in my house. I completely understand that I will never get everything done, I need help on how to get anything accomplished! Writing donw my priorities was interesting to see what the first things came to my head was. And it was not the small tasks that seem to take up all of my time.
Right now, I’m in total shock! I have bought every book, magnet calander, day planner,etc, trying to find my priorities. And in this task, answering some thought provoking questions, I finally know that I will never get all those tiny little things that were keeping me from getting to the things that really will get my life back into motion. WOW!!!! Now I know why nothing ever got started much less finished. I also realize I’m not quite as crazy as I thought!!!
I thought of one more thing. I’ve also realized how overwhelmed I get when I try to focus on too many tasks at once. I get overwhelmed and it immobilizes me, and then I don’t get anything done! I’m definitely a focus on few tasks at a time kind of person.
Establishing my priorities has been a real struggle for me. I have a hard time not lumping my whole to-do list in the high-priority column. This activity helped me to realize that just because I don’t put some items at the top of the list, doesn’t mean that I can’t work on them, but rather I’m putting more effort into what matters most RIGHT NOW. Then, when I am comfortable with what I’ve accomplished regarding those tasks, I can move them down the list and move other tasks up the list. I’ve had some significate tasks that I’ve been wanting to complete for a long time (years for one of them). They are now at the top of my list to work on until completion. My other big struggle has been not letting the mundane everyday tasks get in the way of completing my high priority tasks. It’s so easy for me to put off the big scary stuff to do the little mundane tasks. So, I have to give myself permission to let the laundry pile up for a week, or do take-out for a week, or even skip a work-out or two in favor of getting my high priority tasks done. And I have to keep reminding myself how relieved, happy, and at peace I will be once I’ve finally addressed the big ticket items in my life.
I have the same priorities I had a simplify your life, I just now made a better reminder system to let me know whats important and what I can do to be those priorities.
It feels absolutely AMAZING to realise I’ll never get everything done. Seriously, when I read that part of today’s task, my shoulders automatically relaxed and I felt peaceful. I have always been determined to focus on the things that matter, but never actually listed them before. I listed things I should do, but not things that matter. Some of my priorities are: Getting an organised home; building up readership of my new blog Not Quite Vegetarian; reinvigorating my Career Ignition business, which I’ve let go while working in my full time job, and organising my self for work the night before – I am talking basics here, that I just never do – clothes, making my lunch etc.
So today’s challenge was amazingly powerful. The accountability? A sticky poster count tomorrow. Thank you both so much again. S
I think productivity (and my guilt at feeling I haven’t achieved enough of it) will resolve if I can have a shot at PRIORITY nirvana!
Realising what really needs to be done versus what ‘should’ be done according to some vague sense of importance had tormented me for a long time. The trouble I had coming up with what I actually, personally, feel matters to me was eye opening. Hopefully I will find the strength and motivation to deal with the boring big stuff in order to get to the interesting big stuff (hello work, I’m looking at you! lol)
I agree with Tricia. I have spent a lot of time looking for the productivity nirvana. I REALLY need to practice saying no so I can focus on what is important, truly important to me.
I’m having a hard time admitting that there is not a productivity nirvana and admitting that I will never get everything done. As I look over my priorities list I think it will sink in more and more and becoming very freeing when it finally hits. I’m also glad that priorities can change because what seem very relevant right now doesn’t seem like it will be so relevant later on.
Step B literally paralyzed me because I didn’t know what to write! It is eye-opening to realize I don’t know what is important to me. It is easy to write down what is supposed to be on this list but you said to be honest and that paralyzed me. Guess I have some honest thinking to do before I can finish this one.
I have understood that I can’t everything done…I get it and it is freeing to leave my desk a mess knowing at the end of the day…it’s ok. HOWEVER, there is nothing better for me than walking in the next morning with a clean desk that makes me feel I can take on the world and am not overwhelmed. Ahhh…no wonder organization is a top 5 goal for me!
really hard to limit to just 5 🙂
really hard to limit to just 5 🙂
Today was a revelation! I’m NOT going to get it all done! EVER! This was so freeing for me! The other thing that resonated was My Priorities Can Change! And why shouldn’t they??? I have been working off of a year long “goal list” and no wonder I fail. Depending on the month different things are important and things change! I’m not sure why this is so huge for me…but I feel like the lightbulb has come on over my head! I am ready to rock and roll!!!!!!!!!!
I need to think of my to do list as a reminder – yes a reminder to do the dishes or put the rubbish out, but not a stick to hit myself with. It’s ok to defer one of those daily tasks to tomorrow, I accept that, and I accept that the purpose of it being in my to-do list is the reminder to not let it go a month before I put the rubbish out. Wow that’s liberating in itself! Do I leave it there or set a max of 3 deferrals (before it ends up a month before I realise!)? Decisions, decisions….
I can use my to do list to star the 3 most important things for the day. These could be things that are playing on my mind, have a deadline or that I am procrastinating on to try and keep the momentum going on the important stuff. These things can’t be the daily grind, but need to be manageable in a short period of time so that I don’t find them overwhelming or use them as that stick to beat myself up with again!
Redefined my priorities too today!
I am one of your “older” (note I didn’t say old) students and have been mulling over the idea for some time that my time left is somewhat limited. That thought makes me realize that I have to identify my priorities often in order to make this time count. The fact that I won’t be able to complete everything reminds me of one of my favorite parts of going on a trip. It’s the time you get in the car, close the door, drive away and know that if you forgot, you’ll have to do without it!
I am one of your “older” (note I didn’t say old) students and have been mulling over the idea for some time that my time left is somewhat limited. That thought makes me realize that I have to identify my priorities often in order to make this time count. The fact that I won’t be able to complete everything reminds me of one of my favorite parts of going on a trip. It’s the time you get in the car, close the door, drive away and know that if you forgot, you’ll have to do without it!
On the edges of my brain, I was aware of this concept, but today I really took it in. It took my breath away and the deep breath and exhale that followed was soooo lovely. I love the idea of focusing on a few big priorities at a time. I feel hopeful, not frustrated. Yay!
Wow! I loved reading this…it is just a huge relief! Sometimes I think I just have to get everything perfect…but that is just an illusion. Thank you for freeing me from this ridiculous notion. 8)