Aligned Thinking Secret #4 -
The Myth - I Can Never Get Everything Done
January 16, 2006 D-day-3

Dear Jim,

The book, Aligned Thinking, begins with Ray riding home under the Hudson River thinking to himself, Too much to do! I never get every thing done! Many people can relate to this feeling. Can you?

As the book unfolds, Coach Eric helps Ray discover the five mistakes he makes in planning his day. These five mistakes caused Ray and many people like him to be convinced "I have too much to do,” and “I can never get every thing done.”

Aligned Thinking Secret #4 relates to two of the mistakes and the simple steps you can take immediately to overcome them.

A Double Tragedy - Accomplishing Less & Feeling Frustrated
There is a double tragedy here. First, Ray is suffering from To-Do-List Frustration. We lovingly nick name it TODLIF.

Possibly you know how Ray feels. To-Do-List Frustration or TODLIF, is the feeling you have at the end of the day when the following happens. You go in early. You skip lunch. You work a bit late. At day’s end, when you go back to your to-do list, low and behold, it is longer now than at the beginning of the day. You feel like (@#$%^&*()).
If you understand that feeling, you understand how Ray is feeling as he rides home.

Ray is feeling like his life is under water. He is frustrated.

The Tragedy - Part Two

The second part of the tragedy is feeling during the day that you will never get everything done.

It has a double negative result: the underlying conviction that “I will never get everything done” causes stress. And it is taking away mental energy from the main focus of the moment.

The Good News: Aligned Thinking Secret #4

Using Aligned Thinking Secret #4 you can overcome To-Do-List Frustration immediately, beginning right now.

You can bust the myth, "I Can Never Get Everything Done." You can begin today living with the feeling that what you plan will get done today.

The first part of the secret will not seem like common sense. In fact, it upset some people.

Here it is: Don’t use a to-do list. It will generate to-do-list frustration!

Why a To-do List Is A Bad Idea

A to-do list contains a contradiction that causes frustration. Using an ordinary to-do list, as soon as you think of something you want to do, you put it on your to-do list so you don’t forget it. So far, that’s great.

At the beginning of the day, most people want to empty their to-do list. Here is the contradiction – be creative and put everything you think up on the list. And work hard all day so there is nothing on your to- do list.

Because most people are able to think up more to do in an ordinary day than they can possibly accomplish, frequently the list is longer at day’s end than it was in the beginning. Frequently, the result: to-list frustration.

Better Than a To-Do List – The Holding Pen and Priority List

A holding pen is a place you put things immediately when you think of them. This has three benefits.

First, you don’t lose it. It is in your holding pen.

Secondly, you can immediately forget it and get back to the Most Important Now of this moment.

Thirdly, when you go to create your priority list for today, all the things you stored in the holding pen are immediately available.

The priority list is a list of those priorities that you want to accomplish today because they take you back to what you really want from life and work.

An Additional Simple Step – That Will Help You Overcome To-do-list Frustration

When you finish setting your priorities for the day – in a place different than your holding pen – you guestimate how long each item will take.

Add the times and make appropriate refinements. The first time my VP used this simple tool, she discovered the reason for her regular to-do list frustration. She just planned fourteen hours for a seven-hour day.

Are you planning so that you are assured of having to-do-list frustration at the end of most days? This simple one-two method will change all that immediately.

The Full Aligned Thinking Secret #4 – The 1-2 Punch

1. Don’t use a to-do-list! Use a holding pen and priority list.

2. Guestimate how long each item will take. Refine your priority list accordingly!

Taking the above insights into consideration, I believe you see why Secret #4 is also common sense.

To begin making it your common practice will only cost you a gift to yourself of a five-minute Focus Period.

When you give yourself this focus period, you will bust the myth, "I Can Never Get Everything Done."

Proverbs of The Day
If you won't give yourself a five minutes focus period, who will?
.
A Five-Minute Gift To Yourself

Do Yourself a Favor – Gift Yourself A Five-Minute Focus Period for the 1-2 Punch.

1. Don’t use a to-do-list! Use a holding pen and priority list.

2. Guestimate how long each item will take. Refine your priority list accordingly!

This is D-Day-3 for purchasing Aligned Thinking on Amazon.com on Janaury 19.

A Huge Thanks
Coach Jim
Dr. Jim Steffen
Time Myth Buster
PS Feel free to share this with those important to you – friends, relatives, clients and employees. Use the forward email button below.

Jim Steffen
SSA International

email: rjsteffen@ssainternational.com
phone: 203-740-8400
web: http://ssainternational.com

Author's Bio: 

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