In our last post we explained why you need to stop procrastinating and start strengthening your business during the quarantine. This post will take that a step further and explain how to take your to-do list and start being productive by focusing on the productive tasks.
Everyone has a to-do list, whether that list is in your head, on paper or electronically, is a matter of preference, but we all have a list of things that need to be done.
Sometimes, they can become overwhelming.
This is why it is important that we prioritize the items within our lists, and more importantly, establish your goals.
Before you take a look at your list, write your goal for the day. Then write your goal for the week, the month and the year.
Once you have written down your goals, take a close look at the items on your list. Are most of them busy work, work that keeps you doing something, but not getting closer to your goal? Or, are they productive tasks, those items that get you one step closer to your goals?
Highlight the productive tasks.
Make a two new lists. Put the productive items on your first list and your busy work items on the second.
Close or hide the busy work list and focus all of your attention on the productive list.
Get started on your first productive task. Don’t stop until the productive tasks list is completed.
Once everything on your list has been completed, take a look at your busy work list, are all the items on the list still necessary?
If “no”, mark the item off. If “yes”, get that item done, but give yourself a set amount of time to complete the task.
Stop when that time is done and move on to another necessary task.