I appreciate these distinctions, David. All too often we treat that funnel as the Plinko board. An opportunity drops in and we just passively see where it lands.
Eisenhower box/matrix. I'm excel-sheeted up on some custom-mashed stuff (all sortable). From left to right: Decide by date; Category; 1-to-10 (an intuitive feeling of the importance/urgency of a task relative to my other tasks); Task (a note on the task itself); Resources (available or not); Easy (yes or no); Urgent; Important; Zone (relates to the Eisenhower box, 4 being not urgent not important, 1 being important and urgent); Time management (a guess at how long it'll take me to complete the task; I've gotten within 15 minutes of most tasks consistently, estimating the amount of content and how long it takes me to do a portion of that content); and last, Related (are there other tasks this is related to; sorting by the related column allows me to set a to-do list for a project/task).
I keep a legend of these for my own information (otherwise how would I remember that 13 is soft skill learning/professional development).
Additionally, I've got a master list of skill metrics/competencies to consider my learning objectives.
All in all, this excel sheet is wonderfully helpful when I'm using it actively, takes very little time to use, and helps me prioritize my time (and decreases procrastination because I can block my day out based on my time estimations, flexibly).
When I'm dysfunctional, this list serves as an anchor. A guilt/shame icon to remind me of what I've yet failed to complete.
There was a tool I heard someone recommend one time which involved putting balls or rocks in a jar, and every time I complete something to put it in as a visual representation of my activity. Struggle is that same issue with the guilt/shame cycle.
Additionally, there's several "rules of thumb" I've got posted on my walls to remind me occasionally about things that make my life easier.
One touch rule: do it (or schedule it), delete it, delegate it.
2-minute rule: if it can be completed in 2 minutes or less, just do it.
Lastly, there's a Trigger List from Get Things Done that has a whole list of responsibilities, activities, etc., that can "trigger" a memory of "Oh that's right" - or in my case, serve as a list from which to draw further stuff to get done.
I appreciate these distinctions, David. All too often we treat that funnel as the Plinko board. An opportunity drops in and we just passively see where it lands.
Eisenhower box/matrix. I'm excel-sheeted up on some custom-mashed stuff (all sortable). From left to right: Decide by date; Category; 1-to-10 (an intuitive feeling of the importance/urgency of a task relative to my other tasks); Task (a note on the task itself); Resources (available or not); Easy (yes or no); Urgent; Important; Zone (relates to the Eisenhower box, 4 being not urgent not important, 1 being important and urgent); Time management (a guess at how long it'll take me to complete the task; I've gotten within 15 minutes of most tasks consistently, estimating the amount of content and how long it takes me to do a portion of that content); and last, Related (are there other tasks this is related to; sorting by the related column allows me to set a to-do list for a project/task).
I keep a legend of these for my own information (otherwise how would I remember that 13 is soft skill learning/professional development).
Additionally, I've got a master list of skill metrics/competencies to consider my learning objectives.
All in all, this excel sheet is wonderfully helpful when I'm using it actively, takes very little time to use, and helps me prioritize my time (and decreases procrastination because I can block my day out based on my time estimations, flexibly).
When I'm dysfunctional, this list serves as an anchor. A guilt/shame icon to remind me of what I've yet failed to complete.
There was a tool I heard someone recommend one time which involved putting balls or rocks in a jar, and every time I complete something to put it in as a visual representation of my activity. Struggle is that same issue with the guilt/shame cycle.
Additionally, there's several "rules of thumb" I've got posted on my walls to remind me occasionally about things that make my life easier.
One touch rule: do it (or schedule it), delete it, delegate it.
2-minute rule: if it can be completed in 2 minutes or less, just do it.
Lastly, there's a Trigger List from Get Things Done that has a whole list of responsibilities, activities, etc., that can "trigger" a memory of "Oh that's right" - or in my case, serve as a list from which to draw further stuff to get done.