Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Location: Mount Hermon, Calif., planning the writers conference Career Track
It’s all well and good to talk about play, as we’ve done the last two days, but how do you stay productive and play? Today and tomorrow let’s figure out what to focus on.
Peter Bregman, author of 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, suggests that we focus on five. “Decide–based on your strengths, weaknesses, and passions–on five major areas of focus…Every day, create a to-do list made of six boxes.” Five of these boxes should list tasks related to your focus, while the sixth box is “the other five percent.” At first the sixth box will be immense, but as you focus on your goals, you’ll realize the items in that box are your enemies, not your friends. They’re the things that keep you from achieving what you want to do.
So if, for example, you want to improve your writing craft (box #1), you would create a list of ways to achieve that. But if you’re devoting too much time with Facebook, which might be in box #6, you aren’t getting the right things done. By putting down your goals in this way, you understand why you’re doing certain things, and why other activities aren’t enabling you to reach your goals.
How does this interface with the idea of making room to play? Remember that play and work aren’t necessarily opposites. Doing work that’s playfully satisfying to you is invigorating, not exhausting. And maybe one of your five boxes is giving yourself the space to be intentionally playful for a bit everyday.
For me, I look at my to-do list and set priorities. I start my day with the highest priority and move through the list. That way, at the end of the day, I know I’ve made progress on the most important tasks. Of course, my job is that of a responder. So my good intentions might prove meaningless when my day starts with a phone call alerting me that a three-alarm fire is burning for one of my clients. But if I have no plan, whether it be six boxes or some other idea, I’m bound to meander through the day rather than being focused on the right things.
How do you plan what each day will contain for you?
Cynthia Herron
Janet, I’ve always been very goal-oriented, and I like keeping my written goals before me. I prefer the good, old-fashioned method of using sticky notes (I especially like the neon-colored ones), and I post these around my desk and work space on a daily basis. As I accomplish each task (goal), I remove the coordinating sticky note. By the end of the day, when all (or most of) the notes are down, I feel as though I’ve accomplished a lot and I reward myself…with an extra piece of chocolate or three. Sounds silly, but it works for me.
Jill Kemerer
I’ve been giving this a lot of thought lately. Like you, I prioritize from most important to least, but I also listen to my body. I usually need an hour to catch up on putter-y stuff like e-mails, my blog, etc… before I can tune out and write. One thing that helps me is to save my “sixth” box stuff (love that concept, by the way!) for evenings and weekends.
Lynn Dean
Ah, the tyranny of the urgent. If I have no plan, the myriad of nit-noid tasks and interruptions seems to overwhelm and squeeze the creativity right out of me. Pretty soon, I’m working doggedly at the never-ending list with no hope of completion, much less reward. Very defeating.
But I find if I’ll make a list on my iPhone I can begin to prioritize what’s truly important. As goals are accomplished, I check them off and feel productive. As new tasks arise, I can shuffle them into the triage. When tempted to over-commit, my list provides a reality check and validation for declining. And the nagging “oughta’s” that used to dog me? Those always seem to sink to the bottom like that 6th box you describe. Unless I scroll down, I never see them, and I eventually realize that most of them never really mattered.
Sarah Thomas
I use the good, old-fashioned method of making a list and crossing things off. LOVE crossing things off. Ideally, I make a fresh list each day, moving anything undone from yesterday to today–but that doesn’t always happen. I like the idea of having goal areas related to my focus. It’s so easy to get bogged down in the little stuff that, while important, may be stealing effort from the big picture.
Peter DeHaan
When my day proceeds as it should, I start with the most important tasks and work on down the list. However, some days I lose control and spend the entire day reacting to whatever arises.
Janet Grant
Isn’t it interesting that we all feel such a sense of achievement when we check an item off a list or throw away a PostIt? It seems like such a small symbol, yet it works for so many of us.
Peter, I think we’re all challenged to figure out what to do with the days that run away with us. I hate those days because nothing was checked off my list–even if really important events transpired.
Crystal Miller
I am doing this right now, so this was timely! I will be getting this book. Thanks! Michelle Ule had a book she mentioned yesterday and now this.
I hate days when I have to be so splintered due to my life. So, with me I have to do weekly and monthly to-do lists or I would probably self-destruct from not making even one check on my list. But I’m really excited about this book you mentioned. My kind of thing!
Diana Dart
Love the idea of boxes that relate to focuses, instead of specific tasks. That way we can fit those “fires” that burst unexpectedly into one of the five boxes (hopefully without burning it down). Helps create a sense of accomplishment, even on a day when things run away with us (or our sanity).
Michelle Ule
Was the book Richard Swenson’s Margins? It’s a great one.
Crystal Miller
Yes, Michelle! I’ve actually started reading both of these books. I love my Kindle. 🙂
I also should say that I love that What We’re Reading thingie on the right of this blog. It is brilliant because it hooks me every time. I better hurry up and read the 18 Minute book.