Literature      03/12/2020

How to do everything and live life to the fullest: practical advice. The chaos of deadlines: how to plan things so that you can do everything All planned things

Tell me, why did you stop keeping to-do lists for the day, week, month? Why do you not want to plan your working day anymore, and let everything take its course?

Just think and answer these questions...

While you think, I will answer them.

The answer is actually very simple - you do not want to plan your working day, because you know that the written tasks on the list will not be completed anyway. There are a thousand and one reasons not to do them - mom will call on the phone, and all the time will be spent talking with her; a friend will come to visit, and you will drink coffee and eat cake with him; your favorite series will start showing on TV and you will have an acute desire to watch a new series.

You are guaranteed to find a reason not to carry out the planned tasks. And if you don’t find it, then don’t give it 100% - you will complete only 80% -90% of all planned tasks, and forget about the rest.

This is where the questions come in...

Why do some people complete all the planned tasks for the day, while others do not? What do you need to do to get things done on the list? How to change this situation for the better?

This problem can be solved in various ways, but today I will share with you only one technique, which I affectionately call "Financial Gestapo!" Those who have been trained by me are familiar with it. True, it is called differently, but it does not change the essence. The name "Financial Gestapo" sounds good, and it answers 100% of its essence.

The essence of this technique is…

You find in your environment a “Financial Gestapo man” who will monitor the execution of your cases according to the list every evening. This person can be your friend or acquaintance, a business colleague or just a good friend. The main thing is that he can contact you every evening at a certain time, find out the results current day and check out plans for the next day.

For each planned and not completed task, you will pay money to your controller. The amount may be different, but such that it would not be a pity to give, for example, $ 2, $ 5 or $ 10. Did not complete one task - give your controller $ 2, two - $ 4, five - $ 10. I hope the method is clear. If you have completed all the tasks during the day, you do not need to give anything.

But there is one big “BUT” - you can be cunning in front of your controller and say that you have completed the planned business, although in fact you have not. You will need to provide him with proof of the work done - take a picture of something you did or did. For example, it can be a photo of a written article from a monitor screen, a cooked dinner, a cleaned apartment, etc. The main thing is that you can provide documentary evidence that you were engaged in the planned business and completed it. Since everyone now has mobile phones, it will take a couple of seconds to take a photo. It's not as difficult as it seems.

What will the use of the "Financial Gestapo" lead to?

There are several positives...

1. You will learn how to properly plan your working day.

It would seem that there is nothing complicated in this - just write a to-do list and do it, but as practice shows, there are features and there are many of them. You will understand how much time it will actually take to achieve a particular goal; you will appreciate the value of your time, as you will pay money for each action not completed.

2. You will learn to value your money.

At first, a few dollars for a missed action doesn't seem worth it. of great importance. In the short term (a few days), this is true, but in the long term, you will shell out a couple of hundred dollars and deprive yourself of buying some kind of toy for yourself or something useful for your family.

3. You build the habit of getting things done into your routine.

Working closely with the "Financial Gestapo", you can instill in yourself the habit of not only planning things, but also carrying them out. This will not happen immediately, but gradually. Step by step, the habit of doing things and bringing them to the end will be built into your consciousness.

But that's not all ... You can control his affairs to your controller - become his "Financial Gestapo"! You will control each other. You will compete with each other. Together you will achieve great results, as you will work in pairs.

personal development

Learn to plan regularly and follow the plan

I tried to write plans for the day in a notebook, but it turned out badly to follow them. After a while, I stopped even writing plans. I want to learn how not to take time off from business with the help of Smartprogress, as well as to correctly allocate my time and not allow myself to lose my mood for the fulfillment of the planned because of the people around me, various suddennesses or blues.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to write down here every evening a list of things that I want to do the next day, and the next evening note which tasks are completed and which are not, and write new list. Maybe I'll try to use the Pomodoro method for the most unpleasant things, but I haven't decided yet whether I should.

I decided not to set a deadline for this goal, I will see what progress will be, whether my behavior will change. There is no way to predict how soon I will be able to change.

The main functions of this goal are planning, organization and accounting.

I will not try to stick to a strict daily routine. Sample daily schedule:

  • Wake up and get up at 6:00.
  • Cleaning work in the morning.
  • Physical exercise - while daylight hours last.

Goal Accomplishment Criteria

The feeling that I live in a rhythm in which I manage to do everything. I am not tormented by things that have been postponed until later. I am not tormented by the fact that I could have done more useful, but I was too lazy.

89% of people say they can't handle their daily responsibilities; Only 11% of professionals around the world accomplish everything they planned in an average workday (LinkedIn survey data). So we asked the experts how to make a to do list.

Achieving the goals fixed on paper is more likely. But many of us have to contend with a never-ending to-do list: driving to the dry cleaners, finishing a presentation, calling the dentist, booking a plane ticket, ordering a wedding gift…

Tracey McCubbin, professional organizer and owner of Los Angeles-based dClutterfly, says one of the reasons for the annoyance with to-do lists is that we want to get everything done. Lists, in her opinion, are something alive and breathing, resisting the fact that you can say: "I crossed everything and I've had enough!" In addition to coming to terms with their endless nature, here are other strategies for taming quest lists.

Assess your priorities realistically

Writing too many items on our to-do list can make us feel overwhelmed. That's why Jason Womack, current coach and author of Perfection Never Ends, suggests sticking to "money-making verbs and happy actions." "A lot of people get caught up in the idea that they're really busy but can't handle a lot," says Womack. He asks his clients what 2-5 actions will help them move forward this year.

Womack himself earns through speaking and publishing. Therefore, he concentrates on activities such as writing texts, making phone calls, and conducting electronic correspondence. All this protects his prospects and provides a regular income, thanks to which Womack and his wife Jody go on vacation for a whole month every year, and this already belongs to the field of happiness.

To help his clients determine exactly what tasks to focus on, he asks, “Why are you doing this?” and “If you do this task for the next 36 months, do you think you will be happier or make more money?”

Paula Rizzo, author of List Thinking: Using Lists to Increase Productivity and Success and Reduce Stress, recommends taking just one sticker a day to avoid the temptation to jump into new tasks: “I believe in very short, focused lists that can be just a few points!” Instead of putting additional tasks on your list, consider delegating grocery shopping or cleaning to someone else. And give yourself a break if you don't have time to make pasta from scratch.

“You shouldn't be offended if cases like this keep coming up. Such items should probably be sent to a list entitled "Someday," Rizzo notes.

Understand what's best for you

Because the way lists are constantly improved, there is no one size fits all. Some people like the feel of writing a list by hand.
Others are attracted by the ability to synchronize with a digital list from different devices and have access to tasks from anywhere. Rizzo prefers to break his lists into different categories (work, home, travel, etc.) so as not to manage with one marathon list.

And McCubbin keeps his general list in a notebook that he carries in his purse. “I’m more comfortable if everything is in one place, I don’t like to demarcate life,” she explains.

Get rid of old lists or duplicate them

Once you've completed a task, mentally pat yourself on the back as you remove it from your list. “I know the trick of adding unnecessary things to the list, which allows me to cross them off and feel a sense of release,” says Rizzo.

If you want to get a list of completed tasks, the iDoneThis app will help you with this. But don't let old to-do lists clutter up your desktop and collect dust. McCubbin says many of her clients duplicate their lists on different slips of paper or lined pads throughout the house. “People argue with me, but I find five-year-old lists,” she laughs.

Of course, the tasks that you have completed, according to Womack, are much more significant than the list itself. “It's not about making a list, it's about creating a motivating force that makes you do important things. By lining up tasks in a line, you maintain the concentration that allows you to get to the desired milestone. ” Use an approach that gets you to the next milestone, whether it's a sticky note, an Evernote file, or a lined notepad.

Hello friends!

There are many ways to kill time - and none to resurrect it.

On this moment I run 3 projects on the Internet and I have a lot of things to do, and a competent approach to this issue helps me to manage to complete them. But it wasn't always like that. I learned how to properly distribute my time on the course of Anna Vsekhsvyatskaya “I have time for everything”. This course is designed specifically for women. He helped me a lot, so now I recommend him to all women who have problems managing their time. And if you enter promo code mir, you will get a 10% discount when ordering a course.

In this article, I will share basic rules that will help you get more done.

Now ask yourself: do you use your time wisely, do you achieve your goals and clearly know what you want or do you constantly put off things for tomorrow, do not set goals for yourself and just go with the flow of life!?

Didn't think about it! How so? This is your life and you only have one!

Either you manage your time, or others start to manage your time.

And in order to become the master of your time, you need to know the basics of personal effectiveness and follow them. In the video, I talk about how I manage my time and what helps me to keep up with everything.

1. Define your goals.

To do this, take the time to understand yourself and understand what you want from life: who to become, what to do and what to have. After all, nothing is impossible in the world, and it depends only on us how interesting and happy it will be. Therefore, understand yourself and make a list of goals in order to have a clear understanding in which direction to develop and what to spend your time on.

2. Organize your day.

Scientists have proven that if you go to bed at 22.00 and get up at 06.00, then the body will rest much more, and in the morning you will feel cheerful and energetic. I recommend taking this into account. I try to stick to this routine, but if you can't go to bed at 10 pm, then at least spend no more than 8 hours a day sleeping. This time is enough to sleep.

3. Plan ahead.

Choose a time and write down all your tasks for the week. For example, I do it on Sunday. Write no more than 5 - 6 cases per day so as not to overload yourself. Choose the optimal load for you. Since the goal is achieved not by the one who does a lot of things at a time, but by the one who does things leading to the goal regularly.

4. Break big things down into small steps.


In this way, you will gradually and regularly move towards achieving your goal. After all, if you do not break down a big deal into steps, then it can be postponed from day to day, and you will not know how to approach it.

As you can see, this business consists of small steps. When you write down these steps, the matter will no longer seem so scary and you will complete it much faster. Therefore, be sure to write down all the things that consist of many steps for yourself, this will allow you to complete them much faster.

5. Turn off distracting signals.

6. Spend no more than one hour a day on social media. networks and mail.

Set aside some time for this. It is best to do this in the evening, when most of the important things will be done.

7. Learn to say no.


The world we live in is full of distractions. Early in the morning, a friend may call you and ask you to help him with something or go somewhere. Such interference can take a lot of your time, and if it happens regularly, then you may not get off the ground at all. Yes, you need to help, but you don’t need to do it to your own detriment.

When I lived on Koh Samui, every day I received offers to go somewhere, see some new place or do something interesting. Yes, this is all, of course, great, but at the same time I understood that I had urgent business, my own plan, and I said no. I decided for myself: I work for two days, I rest for one day. Thus, I managed to see new places, go to the beach, and do all the necessary things.

Therefore, before you start changing your plans, think about what is more important to you and whether it is possible to transfer someone else's request or offer to another day.

8. If the case takes no more than 5 minutes, do it right away.

You do not need to write down such a thing in the diary, such as calling and making an appointment with the hairdresser. It is better to call and sign up immediately so that you do not waste your time on this.

9. Delegate.

You don't have to do everything on your own. You can entrust them to other people, machines or services that will do your business faster and better. Of course, in order to entrust some of your duties, you need to pay. But this is small money. Many are mistaken that delegation is available only to wealthy people. In fact, this is not so. You can turn to a freelancer who will take on any task for your project and will do it much faster and better, as he is an expert in this issue. This can be writing a selling text, programming, creating a banner or logo, and much more. You can find such freelancers on the website workzilla. com . Doing these small things with a freelancer is quite inexpensive.


Outsourcing
necessary in cases where you want to transfer a case for a long time. For example, you can outsource bookkeeping or house cleaning services to such companies. You can also hire a personal assistant if you have many small tasks that do not require professional knowledge. You can hire such an assistant for yourself for a long time.

In addition to people, you can seek help from services that will simplify your work. For example, instead of manually writing posts on VKontakte, you can turn to a service that will automatically publish posts in your group.

You can also ask for help from various machines. Now them a large number of. They are especially helpful in housekeeping. It can be multicookers, dishwashers, washing machines, anything. Also, instead of spending time shopping, you can order the necessary goods via the Internet, which will also save your time.

10 Analyze.

At the end of the week, see if you have completed all the things that you planned. If not, then try to understand where you went astray and what exactly prevented you.

In case you feel that despite planning, you are still not using your time effectively enough, conduct timekeeping. To do this, every day during the week, write down all the things that you do, and also indicate the time during which you do some business. Thanks to this, you will understand what distracts you and takes the necessary time. Sometimes you take on too much work, and the next day you do not want to take on work at all.

By analyzing your experience, you will develop for yourself ideal system to manage your time and use it effectively, which means you will achieve your goals. Therefore, in the next couple of years, your life will change dramatically.

See you soon!

In contact with

How to get everything done!

Tip 1. Write a to-do list for the day that needs to be done. It can be both work and household chores. The bottom line is that you should make a list of the most relevant things that need to be done first. This list will be both a simple reminder and motivation. You can simply forget about some things, or you can be lazy and move away from their implementation. By making such a list, you make a commitment to yourself to prioritize this list over other things.

Don't write too big a list, knowing in advance that it will not be feasible. At the same time, do not write too few cases - this reduces organization.

Tip 2: Make a to-do list. Gleb Arkhangelsky in his book "Time Management" calls such small things "frogs". Such a list of small things can be shared by the whole family. These are small household chores that tend to accumulate due to their insignificance and non-priority, however, they bring inconvenience when they are put off for a long time. It can be - ironing clothes, sending a letter or buying a stamp, ordering a copy of a key, or cleaning a shelf with things. Having such a list, you can easily give instructions to your family, fill in the waiting pauses. For yourself, it is most convenient to schedule the execution, for example, two frogs per week, or one frog per day - depending on your degree of employment. For non-compliance - come up with a punishment, for example - next week, commit to fulfill not 2, but 4 frogs. So you get rid of the red tape of small things, the failure of which interferes with everyday life.

Tip 3. Do everything in parallel. This tip will save you a lot of time. If you are within working week driving around the city, plan your visit to the target points in such a way that they are nearby, or along the way. Or, for example, going to the supermarket for groceries on the weekend, go to the hairdresser, which is located along the road. If today your path lies past the post office, do not forget about the package for your grandmother, who has been lying there for a week and cannot wait until you allocate your time for her. You should not devote half of the weekend, for example, to a trip for some small thing to a far-flung store. Ask your friends if they were going there in the near future, or postpone the purchase, waiting for a couple more necessary things sold in this store to appear.

There are many examples - the essence is the same - the parallel execution of cases saves a lot of time. The main thing is to plan correctly.

Tip 4: Get proper rest. Separate work time and leisure time clearly. The right regimen of work activities and relaxing activities will help you work more productively and rest more efficiently. Perform all work tasks only during working hours. If you undertook to be lazy - be lazy to the fullest, telling yourself - now I don’t want to do this, and I won’t force myself. Having given such a setting to yourself, you will be too lazy for a maximum of 5 minutes - just the time to relax a bit. If you decide to take a break - do not do it at the workplace. Try to make the rest as different as possible from your work style. If you have a sedentary job - rest while standing, if static - do a light workout. If it is possible to dine outside the workplace, dine outside. Changing activities will relax and de-stress, allowing you to return to work fresher and stronger.

Tip 5: Keep your schedule busy. This does not mean that you should run like a squirrel in a wheel from meeting to meeting, from case to case. It is recommended to plan events in such a way (especially for the working day) that the time between neighboring events is minimal. For example, allocate enough time to get from one meeting to another, with a margin of not 40 minutes, but 10. Or, for example, having an inevitable window in the middle of the day, be sure to schedule lunch for it, by no means sitting an extra hour waiting.

Tip 6. Always have a book with you. Firstly, a change of activity is a rest. Secondly, the book is a source of information. Carnegie said that better book will be cut into pieces in order to fit into the bag - but read than not read at all. A book can always fill a waiting time in the waiting room, a long commute, or the remaining time on a lunch break. Thus, you will quench your thirst for reading and save time allotted for reading in the evening.

Following these tips will allow you to make the distribution of your time optimal, respectively, will generate a certain amount of free time that can be used for things that you could not do before.