As an independent worker, I’m learning to be the manager, technician and boss of Dave, Inc. The most important lesson I’ve learned is to never sit down in front of the computer without a list of what must be done.
Approaching the work day without a list of observable, clearly-defined actions creates one of two scenarios. Either you’ll attend to every distraction that pops into your mind and make insignificant progress on many projects or you’ll spend an inordinate amount of time on a project that’s less critical than others.
Every night between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM, I review my projects lists and pick the three mission-critical tasks that MUST be completed on the following day. Then I gather 5-6 other tasks that can wait a day but would be the icing on the cake if completed within 24 hours.
I then take a pen and a notebook and write them down. This simple practice reduces my anxiety tremendously, lets me sleep and gives me direction in the morning. When it’s 12:00 noon and I’ve completed all three critical tasks, I feel fantastic.
The method I’m using is a synthesis of GTD, Leo Babauta’s The Power of Less and The Pomodoro Technique. Eventually I’ll describe it here.
i just want to raise the point… what ever happened to just writing shit down and crossing it off? (i’m going to call it “WSD” method and write blog posts and make posters and having once a month meetings:) )
A future post.