You may consider yourself organized, and you are on top of things. You may be someone who loves lists. That is a great way to keep reminding you of what you need to complete. You prepare it daily. Suppose your goal is to have a to-do list, congratulations. Interestingly though, by tomorrow, the list has inevitably grown, and in no time, you begin to wonder what you are doing wrong and may even go as far as to feel like a failure.
The issue is likely not you, the to-do list, but your approach to accomplishing it. Again, it comes back to a question that most people struggle with. Where is the time? The morning began with a list to accomplish so much, and by the time you finally crash, you have done little on the list.
Why do you find the time to visit the dentist, or your hairdresser, pick up the kids, play sports, go out for dinner and successfully meet with others daily, regularly, and consistently? In all likelihood, you schedule them and set a specific time for all of these events.
Regardless of your perspective or drive, your time is as limited as anyone else. We all have the same starting point. Some are more successful than others because they plan to use finite time better. They will prioritize what is important, say no to what is not essential, and delegate where possible, but most of all, they will plan and ultimately schedule.
If you look at your calendar, you may soon realize it is impossible to accomplish your to-do’s since no time is available. Even if time is open, you will be distracted in your ‘free time and not tend to the critical matters.
We prioritize our time for others – family, work, friends, and service providers – by scheduling the time with them, yet we do not afford ourselves the same level of attention.
If you want to succeed in what you do, schedule all as events. Set time aside for everything. Exercise, reading, writing, meetings, strategic thinking, play, and even relaxation. If it sounds too simple, it’s because you haven’t done it yet. The next time you ask yourself why you are not accomplishing what needs to be done, look at your schedule.
