Most people use some kind of to-do list to assist them in managing all the tasks that go into living life. Not only is this method helpful, it is also just good common sense. After all, if you don’t maintain at least some baseline awareness of things that need to be done, you will never do anything! However, not all to-do lists are created equal. Some people scratch their lists on the back of old envelopes. Others just keep a running list in their heads. And then there are those who purchase fancy planners or use sophisticated electronic planning devices to organize their lives. Any system is better than no system, but unless your system employs a method for helping you sort and track your items, you are not likely to get as much done as you could – or need to -- do.
The problem is that we live our lives on a space-time continuum highway that is constantly inventing new obligations, responsibilities and opportunities. These new demands create a constantly burgeoning flow of new tasks that must be handled, taking their place on our to-do lists to compete not only with the items that were already there, but continuing to compete also with those new items that will inevitably arrive tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. Obviously, a list on the back of an envelope is no match for this deluge, not to mention a list maintained only in your memory. (After all, even the most mentally adept of us can only remain aware of about six to eight important projects at any one time.) And, even those more sophisticated planning systems have a greater capacity, they won’t magically take charge of your schedule and make sure that everything gets done effectively and efficiently without requiring quality input from you. How can we address this ever increasing set of demands and options so that we avoid being overwhelmed, letting things slip through the cracks, and ending up accomplishing less than we really should?
I recommend using the GAP system. GAP stands for Goals, Activities and Priorities. Every other aspect of successful time management keys off of these critical concepts, so let’s make sure we understand them.
Goals refer to the desired end result of anything that you wish to achieve, from something as complex as improving customer service at your company, to something as simple as getting the oil changed in your car. Goals are your target, the bull’s-eye for the final result you are aiming at. However, goals must be specific and measurable to be useable. Instead of saying, “improve customer service,” it would be better to say, “resolve 85% of customer service calls within 15 minutes of initial contact.”
Activities are the means to achieve your goal, the tasks or things you have to do to move toward your goals. If goals are our end destination, activities are the road map we must follow to reach our destination. A lot of the items on our to-do lists are there as activities which are necessary to achieve certain goals (which are also on our to-do lists). One of the best ways to improve the functionality of your to-do list is to group your activities together under the goal they support. This way you can clearly visualize the scope of each project, instead of getting lost in the wilderness of those ever multiplying demands. One activity under your customer service goal might be: initiate survey to determine how long an average call takes now.
Priorities decide the order of importance of goals and tasks. Simply identifying goals and activities doesn’t help you decide what to do first or second ? or never. A to-do list that is not prioritized is a recipe for inefficiency, wasted time, and lost opportunities. Prioritizing will give you a list of goals and activities that are ranked from first to last in terms of importance.
There are a variety of different ways to help you decide how to rank the activities on your list, but none works any better than the old-fashioned ABC principle. This approach merely requires you to know which among all your projects is of first importance, designated with an A, then to move that project as far along as you can each day before working on any other project. Here’s how it works:
Mark with A any items on your list which must be done as soon as possible because of penalties or consequences that will result if you put them off. For instance, if you don’t get the oil changed today, you may ruin the engine in your car. You should refer to your list of A priorities every day.
.
Mark with B any items that should be done soon. Refer to your list of B priorities at least once a week.
Mark with C any items that could be done now but can be put off indefinitely.
To put this principle into action:
a. First, sort your to-do list into a set of goals, each with its set of supporting activities.
b. Next, give every item on your list an A, B, or C Priority rating. If you have more than one A priority today, sort them into A1, A2, A3, etc.
c. Finally, work on each item in priority order, going as far as you can with your top priority first, before moving to the next one.
Employing this simple “GAP” analysis will turn your to-do list into a “can do” list, by creating a logical plan and order for addressing everything on your list. As you input this data into whatever planning system you use (I still wouldn’t advise trying to keep this all in your head), you will have an instant road map to guide you as you navigate your schedule every day, and you are much more likely to reach your chosen destination in one piece, with more peace!
Re-Print Permission
This article may be reprinted in it's entirety if the following
conditions are met:
October Time Management Quick Tip of the Month – Inspirational Deadlines
Most of us have an innate distaste for deadlines. Somehow, they have an inherent “or else” quality that fosters resentment and creates pressure. It is true that deadlines are often imposed on us from above in ways that seem not to be concerned with how full our plates already are. Still, most of the time, deadlines are our friends. Even after you have clearly defined your goals, activities and priorities, you still may never get anything done without a deadline. If you don’t set a specific completion date, you are likely to start late and work slowly, proving once again that foundational caveat of time management: the time it takes to do a project will expand to fill the time allotted to complete it. Deadlines are a valuable tool for helping sort out A priorities from B priorities, and they will help you get more done in less time. Get in the habit of inspiring yourself and your staff with clear, specific, reasonable deadlines. They absolutely work.
