How’s your to-do list? Miles and miles of things that need done… urgently, or sooner?
If it’s anything like mine the urgent is mixed in with dreary must dos, ought tos and would really love to find a minute fors
It sits there, lurking on my computer, nagging and reminding me just how rubbish I am, how I’ll never amount to much or get anything done. See, it says, how can you achieve even the smallest thing, if you can’t conquer me?
For the longest time every day was a battle with the list. David v Goliath. Exaustingly, relentlessly punching the huge monster’s shins with all my might. Unsurprisingly the end of the day would find me bloodied and knackered while the list sauntered off to the pub with a tiny ladder in its tights.
Then I saw the light. It was time for a new approach before list had the last word.
I read somewhere (or maybe I made it up, but who cares) that the most effective daily list contains six items only.
So now I line up the life-or-death do-it-or-you’re-doomed stuff then I ruthlessly excise the rest until there are only six things left.
Suddenly it’s a fair fight. I stand a chance of crossing them all off and ending the day victorious – some times I even manage it. But what it I do achieve is a sense that I might succeed, that progress is possible.
What’s your top tip for getting things done?