How to get things done

Achieving progress in both business and personal life can often feel like navigating a complex maze. Without a clear plan, it's easy to get lost. Whether you're working towards professional goals, planning a weekend getaway, renovating your home, or preparing for a significant life event like the arrival of a baby, a bit of preplanning is essential.

In both work and personal life, you have goals to hit, deadlines to meet, and plans to chart out. Evaluating the value and importance of each project helps prioritize and strategize effectively. Think of your path to achieving a goal as climbing a ladder: you're not leaping over a chasm but steadily ascending, rung by rung. Regularly check in and analyze your progress to stay on course.

Staying on course can be challenging. Unexpected events, like sudden work deadlines or urgent family matters, often derail plans. Therefore, focusing on what you can control is crucial to hitting your targets. Grab a sheet of paper and sticky notes, and let's dive into some techniques to help you manage your time and achieve your goals, both big and small.

Visualize the Work

Get your plan and ideas down on paper. Sticky notes are great for planning your roadmap.

Weekly planning is beneficial, but you can start with a few days if that's easier. Here’s how:

Break goals into small, achievable tasks and tackle them one at a time.
List all work tasks and engagements, including meetings and prep time. A to-do list keeps you organized.
Keep a to-do list for home responsibilities and discuss family plans. Balancing work and personal life is crucial.

Note: Without writing down your goals, crucial details might be forgotten.

Sort the Work

Now, sort your to-do list. Use principles from project management:

Prioritize time-sensitive tasks with fixed deadlines. Use a calendar to plan around specific events, and always leave space for breaks.
Block off segments of your calendar each day for flexibility. These windows can buffer unforeseen changes.
Split tasks into those doable during work blocks and those outside them. For instance, plan a product launch in your work block and handle chores outside it.

Stick to the Plan

A good plan is useless if not followed. It’s better to plan less and accomplish more:

Start your day knowing your work blocks. Write tasks on sticky notes and place them where visible.
Celebrate completed tasks and note unplanned ones. Move completed tasks to a “done” column to visualize progress.
Summarize your day. Assess if you accomplished all planned tasks and understand why if not. Adjust your plans accordingly.

Conclusion

In today's fast-paced world, even the most meticulous plans can encounter unexpected hurdles. Embracing flexibility and incorporating risk management into your planning will help you navigate these challenges effectively. By applying these practical techniques, you'll gain better control over your time and steadily achieve your goals.

Remember, success is a marathon, not a sprint.

Start with small steps, stay consistent, and soon you'll see your productivity and confidence soar. Keep climbing that ladder of progress, one well-planned rung at a time.