Just one thing — but make it the right thing.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my anti-multitasking mantra, “ONE thing DONE.” Thanks to that post, a colleague thought of me when he came across this little item:
It’s a sticky notepad with a purpose:
“Envisioned as the underachiever’s to do list, these 2×3″ sticky pads actually do wonders to keep you focused on the major task at hand.”
The principle is sound, and in fact it lies at the heart of an old story that’s well known in time-management circles. Many years ago, a P.R. man named Ivy Lee handed an envelope to steel magnate Charles Schwab (not that one — that one), saying that it contained a time-management technique. Schwab was to read it, then pay Lee whatever he thought it was worth — or nothing, if it proved worthless. The tycoon ended up sending Lee a check for $25,000.
What was the secret formula? Here it is, quoted from Stephanie Winston, Organized for Success. (I’ve referred before to Winston’s book.)
- Make a limited list of tasks to be completed each day — about ten.
- Prioritize the list in descending order from 1 through 10.
- Start with 1, then tackle 2, and continue on in order.
- Don’t fret if you don’t finish. You will have spent your day on top priorities and can accomplish the rest another day.
The little pad in the picture boils this process down to its quintessence, which may be mandatory in this day of constant interruptions, open cubicles, and permanently open lines of communication. (Though you could unplug from time to time.)
You could go one step further, though. When you’re deciding what your One Thing is, you could arm yourself with a clear picture of what your One Thing is at the scale of a week, a month, a quarter, a year, . . . or even your whole career.
If you can say, in language simple enough to please Einstein, “At the biggest scale, my job is about doing [this One Thing],” you might be able to generate the clarity you need to fill in the blank on the sticky pad for the One Thing to animate your working day ahead.
Do you have a clear idea of your One Thing for today?
~
Category: Productivity
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Yes! Now, if I could only stop procrastinating….
Good follow-up post. I like this sticky-pad because writing it down is essential. I’m a decently busy guy and often have fleeting thoughts. Lately I’ve realized that if I don’t write down my to-do’s, I tend to be laying in bed and remembering that I’ve forgotten a few things I needed to do.