Small Changes Today for a More Productive Tomorrow – TPW447

Let's talk about a few small changes we can make to create a more productive tomorrow.

Small changes today can result in a more productive tomorrow

As I’m recording this we in the northern hemisphere are wrapping up the school year and moving into the summer months. It feels like a time to look at my life and think about what I want to do with the coming months. I started thinking about a few small changes we can make in our daily lives to set us up for even more productivity in the days and weeks to come.

One: Corral your tasks

When we want to make good use of our time and get things done, it’s crucial that we think ahead rather than simply reacting to what comes. A couple of things I encourage you to try for the next week or two:

Spend 10 minutes at the end of the day to put on paper the things you need or want to accomplish tomorrow.

Try limiting your list to 3 things that must get done--your MITs (Most Important Tasks) for the day. These are the tasks that will make the day a good one if you get them done. If possible, make one of them something for you. Maybe have a second section of the list where you put other tasks that you will get to if you can.

Pick one task each day to delegate.

Delegate to your spouse, to kid(s), to colleagues, to an assistant if you have one. 

If you’re thinking the only way to get it done right is to do it yourself, ask yourself if that’s really the truth. It might be that the way to get it done the way you want it you’d need to do it yourself, but for most tasks there’s more than one way to get it done, and relinquishing micromanagement might just buy you both some time and some peace. 

I’ve seen a lot of posts and videos recently from women talking about how overwhelmed they are with managing all the things and expressing frustration or resentment because their partner isn’t doing his fair share (it’s always a male partner in these discussions). If you are feeling that way I want to gently encourage you to begin to unload some of the tasks that someone else can do. I hear you saying they won’t do it right or won’t do it when I want it done. I invite you to let go of that. Better to let the task go undone than to let it be a source of resentment and conflict.

Keep it simple.

We’ve discussed in recent episodes various tools to help us with managing the things we need to do. Choose one and work with it, but maybe for this week focus on cultivating this one simple habit with a to-do list pad or a simple piece of paper.

Two: Cultivate Mindfulness

According to an article in Psychology Today, “Mindfulness is the practice of observing, discovering, and letting things be as they are.” The article also notes that “mindfulness meditation is essentially dropping everything to just notice what is already here.” It is the opposite of--and maybe the antidote to--mindless busyness. 

“It is an underused form of intelligence that can promote psychological freedom instead of the automatic productivity and burnout we've often promoted instead. After all, what's the point of productivity if we're not present and intentional in our being, and don't live with sufficient simplicity, ease, joy, and patience? Also what's the true quality of our productivity or non-stop doing if we rarely rest? Resting actually can enhance creativity and productivity.”

Valeri Hall Little, a leadership coach, defines mindfulness as “paying attention on purpose” and says, “When you’re mindful, you’re fully present in the moment,