Staying in the Gain with my To Do List · Rapid Transformation Mentoring

Staying in the Gain with my To Do List

During the call last week, I shared how before creating my To Do list for the next day, I first make a Done list for the current day. I do this at the end of each day, it is non-negotiable. If I don't, I will find myself mentally creating a list, which reminds me to go write it down before going to bed. I've attached a week's worth as an example.

I started it as a way to stay focused, (Focus is my word for this year) and to track what was completed to facilitate invoicing, but have noticed other benefits.

The biggest one is that it brings me back to the Gain. Writing out my Done list each day carves out time to reflect on the Gain. Reviewing the lists each Friday before planning the next week puts me in a Gain frame of mind.

Even when I don't complete much of my To Do list, comparing it to the Done list give insights that have helped me improve my focus. A common mistake is writing a multi-day project as if it is a task. I have gotten better at making sure I only write tasks in my daily To Do list. When I only accomplish part of the task, I include the actual task completed in my Done list.

Another insight is that I need to under schedule my days if I want to have any hope of completing the list, because stuff always comes up. That is why the Done list often includes items that were not on the prior To Do list.

Priorities will change throughout the day, but the top priority is least likely to change. Do it first.

Staying focused is easier with shorter lists, 3 items is best but hard to do. More than that is OK if they are small, but then I need to prioritize them so that I stay focused. Otherwise I find myself switching back and forth every time I get distracted.

3 comments