“Do not wait for a change of environment before you act; get a change of environment by action.” – Wallace D. Wattles
Week Nine
When you have a task to complete, how do you manage your timetable to get it done? Maybe you are in the habit of squeezing it into your schedule at the first opportunity, rushing to get it done among the other tasks that it may have displaced. Or, perhaps you just add it to the list of things you will get around to doing eventually.
Take some time now to make your list of all the things that require closure in any area of your life, big or small. What is outstanding for your home maintenance, health, social life, finances, work, etc? Add everything that you have been meaning to do, any loose ends you have, or things that need attention, or are unfinished.
Consider the following questions to reveal patterns in your use of time.
1) How long has each of these items been on your to do list?
2) Are the incomplete items concentrated in any one area of your life?
3) How many of these items are demands others have placed on you versus tasks you have allocated for yourself?
4) What would you gain from getting these things done?
5) How does not completing these items serve you?
6) What impact do these loose ends have on your life?
7) Taking a look at each item – identify whether you will
a. Do it
b. Delegate it
c. Defer it (schedule time to attend to this later or periodically when a stack has a accumulated)
d. Dump it
8) How will you deal with items that come up in future?
By completing this exercise you will benefit from a more accurate picture of how you spend your time and greater insight into how your ‘to do’ list arises. You will also discover similarities between items that are not a priority for you – this may raise possibilities for outsourcing or for making a decision to minimize engagement in this area. In addition, your answers will highlight what is outstanding that you do really want to get done so that you can dedicate resources to its completion.