Nov
7
Don’t Do It! (Time Management)
November 7, 2008 | 1 Comment
Often I get asked how I get so many things done in the day/week/month/year. One way of answering that question is: By not doing things!
The Infinite List
First problem we all have: We have many more things on our list of things to do than we could possibly do ever. If we start keeping a simple To Do List, it will grow forever. The longer the list, the more frustration we feel. The more frustrated we are, the less efficient we become and the slower we check things off. In the end we just feel so frustrated we abandon the list and start a new one which may or may not contain the important tasks.
Priorities
The next natural step is trying to assign priorities to the To Do List. The problem with priorities is that they are ever changing. If something has to be delivered a month from now but it is very important, how do we prioritize it? Will it go higher or lower than the less important task that has to be completed today? Priorities change relative to time, completion of other tasks, the feelings of other people, and so many other situations that a priority may become meaningless a few minutes after you jot it down on the To Do List.
Drop It!
In my opinion, To Do Lists are useful. I keep one. Most of the time, I keep them on Index Cards or Post It Notes. The format is not important. However, it gives me the ability to keep a limited number, drop the ones I will not do, and sort them according to the current priority. Also gives me the ability to circle through them on my most dynamic moments. No matter what mechanism you use for the task list, I think the most important is the ability to drop the less important tasks or the ones that you have decided not to do. There is no shame in dropping a task. No one is super human. No one can do everything he/she wants to do in life.
Drop Intelligently and Responsibly
When dropping a task, be smart about it. There are easy tasks to drop, those that are just ‘wants’ and do not impact anyone else. However, if you have made a commitment, or if you should complete a task to improve your life or avoid harm, you need to drop it intelligently. You certainly should contact anyone impacted by you dropping the task and make arrangements so that you cause no harm and/or hard feelings.
Outsourcing
You can also dispose of the task more diligently by outsourcing. Note that outsourcing the task doesn’t mean you have dropped it: you still have to follow up through completion. However, outsourcing a task may allow you to remove it from your list quicker. Yes, I know how to hem pants. But if I can convert an hour task to hem a pair of pants into a 5 minute stop to drop it at the cleaners and another 5 minute stop to pick it up at the cleaners, I get more done. Of course, it only works out fine because the cleaners charge me only $14 to hem the pants, there are other tasks that I can’t outsource so easily.
Just Say No!
Think twice before accepting or committing a task. Remember that if you accept a task, chances are you will have to drop one you already have, or do one you already have more diligently. In summary, when managing time, dropping tasks may be more important than doing tasks diligently.
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