Author: Jones Loflin
I chuckled as I read the words in Kevin Kruse’s insightful book, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: “Throw away your task list.” In my time management and Juggling Elephants training programs I am continually surprised at the number of people who still use such a list as their primary guide for their […]
I chuckled as I read the words in Kevin Kruse’s insightful book, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: “Throw away your task list.” In my time management and Juggling Elephants training programs I am continually surprised at the number of people who still use such a list as their primary guide for their choice of action throughout the day.
Those of you who do are saying to me, “Well how else am I supposed to keep up with what I need to do?” Kruse’s solution, and the one I’ve used for years, is to work solely from your calendar. ️ In other words, anything you plan to do is scheduled on your calendar. Period.
If you’re still making a list of 37 things and finding that you’re feeling less than pleased with your accomplishments at the end of the day, here are five benefits you can experience using the calendar method:
YOU WILL REDUCE YOUR BRAIN’S RESISTANCE TO FOCUS ON WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT.
Two priorities of your brain are to finish things and to conserve energy. If you’re frequently reviewing your task list during the day to choose what to work on, your brain wants you to work on what can be completed quickly without a great degree of effort. Looking at your calendar reduces your brain’s ability to lead you to tasks that might make you feel good for the moment when completed, but don’t really move you forward with your goals.
YOU WILL DEVELOP A BETTER FLOW TO YOUR DAY.
When I first began using the calendar method I was frustrated because there were several small tasks that I felt silly putting on my calendar as individual items. What I did, however, was block off a period of time each day to take care of several of these small items. It’s usually 45 minutes before I stop for lunch, or the last hour of the day. Now I can physically or mentally drop those items into that time slot.
YOU WILL BE MORE HONEST ABOUT THE REAL TIME AVAILABLE TO YOU.
Using a task list can lead to frequent overload because it doesn’t include the time required for each task. Putting everything on your calendar helps you quantify time resources needed for each item, and gives you a more accurate assessment of your day. You’ll train yourself to ask, “How long will this task, assignment, or project take to complete?,” and then start looking for where it could fit on your calendar.
YOU WILL HAVE A STRONGER MOTIVATION TO SAY “NO.”
When you’ve got all your activities listed on your calendar it’s easier to see your limited availability. When people ask, “Have you got a minute?,” you can honestly say, “I’ve got something scheduled right now, but I could talk ….” (at a regularly designated time you have set up on your calendar for such things).
If you need a little help on saying “NO”, I have 13 ways to help you communicate “no” with tact and confidence.
Another strategy you can put into action is a 3 Part Plan where you – Tell Them, Show Them and Train Them…about when you’re available to talk and when it’s just not a good time.
Of course, if their issue is serious enough, you would stop and address it at that moment, and when done, you would reschedule the tasks that got postponed.
YOU WILL HAVE A MORE EFFECTIVE PLAN FOR YOUR WEEKS AND MONTHS.
The calendar method isn’t just about more effectively managing your day. It’s a powerful tool to evaluate when you can take on larger projects and pursue bigger goals in the future.
And I would be lying if I told you that I don’t still have lists. In keeping with the Juggling Elephants philosophy of “3 rings,” I have lists where I capture quick thoughts related to work/relationships/self that aren’t necessarily time specific. The difference is that in a future planning time I review those lists and determine what needs to be added to my calendar to address these items.
So if you’re tired of looking at your task list each day feeling overwhelmed and wondering why your most important things just aren’t getting done, try tossing it. I promise you the world won’t stop. In fact, it might starting turning more in your favor.
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter
The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
On a recent flight, at almost every stop along the way, the airline I had chosen reminded me that I was flying with “the best” So can you over-compliment your CX. Airport signage told me…the CEO appearing on the pre-flight safety video told me…the flight attendant announcements told me…well, you get the picture. The problem […]
Speakers in the virtual space during this pandemic we have heard the word pivot frequently. And now it’s typical to hear phrases like “all Zoomed out”. In the world of events and training we are seeing a mixture of virtual, hybrid and face to face. No one expected this pandemic. While we continue to navigate […]
Be a Force for Good in the wake of some of the recent events in the world and in light of so much of what we’ve all been through the past few years, I’ve been finding it challenging to focus on the good stuff and Be a Force for Good, even though this is at […]
The world much better. The world is awful. The world can be much better. All three statements are true. — Read on ourworldindata.org/much-better-awful-can-be-better “It is wrong to think that these three statements contradict each other. We need to see that they are all true to see that a better world is possible. by Max Roser […]
Yet Mr Gates’ programme itself is not inherently evil and why you can do better without slides. Ouch!’Death by PowerPoint.’ That’s the commonly used term. Jim Nelson, a man who served as a translator between the American and Russian troops in Bosnia, tells a story about the Russians watching with bemused fascination as their unlikely […]
In September of 2012, a freak failure of the dynamic positioning system of the vessel Chris Lemons Speaker was working under, resulted in the umbilical which provides him with breathing gas, light and heat being severed completely. He was left on the sea-bed, in complete darkness 300 feet below the surface, with only the 5 […]
4 Types of Keynote Speakers – How To Match Them For Your Function The function of a Keynote Speaker is to create the stage for the remainder of that event and deliver folks collectively with the very same function. What varieties of Motivational Speaker are there? Generally, there are four principal methods […]
WHAT MAKES A WINNING TEAM: 4 key lessons from the lion pride and the victorious 2019 RWC Springbok rugby team It was an exceptional result that captivated a nation. One year ago this November South Africa’s national rugby team, the Springboks, lifted the Webb-Ellis trophy into the Yokohama sky, winners of the 2019 Rugby World […]
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
