This week is just a whirlwind! From hiring and training a new employee, training for the upcoming pageant, trip planning, wedding planning, speechifying...ah, the list goes on.
(Speechifying is what my grandfather used to call public speaking. :-D He was born in 1883!)
I'm a Club level winner of the Inspirational Speech Contest for Toastmasters. This means I go to the Area competition on March 29th. I'm excited! I really love public speaking and adding value to other people's lives.
The hard part in all this is that I'm working on another book proposal, planning a trip to Denver for some expert consultations, and planning for a new employee to start today.
Sometimes, we have to prioritize by the main list and then break it down to the most important things to get done each day.
The way I do it? I write one long list and then pick out items from it to put on my daily To Do List. My kids joke that if it isn't on my daytimer list then it doesn't get done. What makes that funny? It's so true!
What do you do to prioritize? How do you get things done when you are super busy?
My biggest tip in this area is to acknowledge everything and write it down! Then, and only then, can you begin to unwind the myriad of criss-cross plans you have to make.
My next tip is to group things into similar slots. For me that means things like areas in town, similar emails that can be sent to more than one person, notes for messages to our printer for more than one project at a time, or appointments that can be booked by topic so my mind is "in the game" and not so scattered.
When I'm brainstorming a book, for instance, I allow free-flow. If I come up with a great idea for something off topic, I simply open that document and tuck it in there so I won't forget next time. But that means that I either have my computer open or a notebook handy to write down ideas. And, a notebook goes with me everywhere:-)
In my daytimer, I always write the name, address, and phone number for appointments. It helps me if I'm running late to call and make sure it's okay to still go. It also keeps everything in one place so I'm not jumping all over the place or digging through my bag while driving.
I'm pretty good at multi-tasking. I'd better be with all these kids, lol. I tend to have my To Do List with me 99% of the time inside my daytimer. Then I bring a shoulder bag full of my intended To Do materials. Now waiting at doctors, business meetings, schools or wherever isn't boring, it's productive.
So I would love to hear your tips on how to get things done in a busy, busy world!!! Share away.
Angie
1 comment:
Ang,
It is a busy world, isn't it.
Like you I somewhat have to stop, and put things in order. I decide to do this first then this and so on.
I'm trying to be better at not waiting until the last minute, but I still struggle on that point.
Oh well, we all need something to work on, huh?
Thanks for the post.
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