"Actions expresses priorities." - Mahatma Gandhi In the next three days, we will discuss prioritization. First, let me tell you a story I read years ago. There was a corporate executive who was very busy at work. Whenever people ask her to arrange any extra appointment, she declines it because she is too busy to accommodate. However, one day, the water pipe in her house was broken. She then has to spend 7 hours finding a plumber and fixing the issue. She made a 7-hour extra time on her schedule! The story tells an interesting truth about time management: It's never about time. It's about priority. We often say we are busy simply because we don't think the new ask has higher priority. When someone tell you they are "busy,"... "It's not a reflection of their schedule; it's a reflection of YOUR position on their schedule." (Steve Maraboli) Unfortunately, many of us lose our priority when we live our life. Let's change it by formalizing how we manage our priorities and tying them to our daily schedule. Day 1: Create A To-Do List and the Priority Buckets Let's start with one to-do list. Note that we only need one to-do list. I find it helpful to use digital notes such as Apple Notes that I can update on my iPhone, iPad, and Mac Book. You can also use any note-taking app. What we need is simple: a checklist. First, create a today and later section listing all the tasks you'd like to look at today and later. This includes uncategorized tasks or tasks, not in the planned projects. Second, we add a weekly plan highlighting the project we will work on in our two study times. Next, we add projects below and outline the task breakdowns with the time we plan to complete each task and the time for the project fishes. This is the planning that happens. For the project, list the goals, so we know the result. Last, we add four budgets of prioritization: Now, Today, ThisWeek, and Later.
Day 2: Review priorities With the list of tasks with priority created, we need to review the priority list so we can complete them as planned. This is about designing with a reasonable estimation of each task's effort. Now, you would review the list the day before and on Sunday to ensure the plan is in place. Give a review of the list for you tomorrow's work. Make sure you have enough time to complete the Now and Today tasks and arrange some time for the ThisWeek job. Remember to add the Today task to summarize your learning in the email. Day 3: Follow the priority plan to manage your day. During the day, focus on completing the Now task first, then complete the Today task, and work on the ThisWeek task. Add them to the task list and assign a tag if any urgent task comes. Note, if you can finish them in 5 min, there is no need to keep notes. The notes need to be simple. The priority list needs to be short to be effective. After that, spend writes an email to tell me how it does. You may write anything in your mind or answer one or all of these questions:
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