We all have limited resources and we must manage them to focus on what's important.
Most people haven't adequately determined how to best manage their actions in personal and work commitments and projects; what to do with their time, the information avalanche, their mind, body and focus. They leave key steps undecided and vague or they try to tackle productivity from the top down...by defining critical objectives or goals and implementation details.
Productivity expert David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, believes otherwise:
"...The trouble is that most people are so embroiled in commitments on a day-to-day level that their ability to focus successfully on the larger horizon is seriously impaired. Consequently, a bottom-up approach is usually more effective."
Start with the most mundane activities and commitments. Catch up by taking control of your in-basket and your mind right now. You will unleash creative, buoyant energy that supports your attempt to reach new heights.
You will experience an immediate sense of freedom, release and inspiration. These rewards come naturally to those who roll up their sleeves, dig in and take care of the little things.
Tips for Managing Commitments
1. Empty your mind. Anything you consider unfinished must be captured in a trusted external system. This "collection bucket" must be reliable, and you must return to it regularly to sort through it.
2. Clarify exactly what your commitment entails....its desired outcome and what you have to do to make progress toward fulfilling it.
3. Once you've pinpointed all of the next-action steps you need to take, keep reminders of them organized in a system you can review regularly.
Employing next-action decision-making results in clarity, productivity, accountability and empowerment. When you hold yourself to the discipline of identifying the real results you want, you will obtain them.
Things that have your attention need your intention. Here are some questions to regularly ask as you go over your list:
- What does this mean to me?
- Why is it here?
- What do I want to be true about this?
- What's the successful outcome?
- How do I make this happen?
- Which resources must I allocate to make it happen?
- What's the next action?
When your newly adopted behaviors help you organize everything that comes your way, a deep alignment will occur. Wondrous things will emerge. You will become highly productive, achieving your desired outcomes with minimal stress and maximum results.