A time management productivity principle
(update: 1.15.08) Wow, this is weird. The day I decide to Blog about productivity and a To-Do list, Microsoft Press releases a story called Survey Shows Increasing Worldwide Reliance on To-Do Lists. That article outlines differences between how men and women handle To-Do lists. There are some more tips on being more productive on this site http://www.windowsmobile.com/organize.
(original post: 1.14.08) In my very first blog, I mentioned that occasionally I would share some lessons learned about balancing work and life. One of those lessons comes from having a real understanding of what I value and then aligning my values with my actions.
In this post, I stray from PPS topics to mention a tool that I use to organize and prioritize my actions so that they align with my values. This post assumes that you have defined what you truly value.
I am sure there are other ways to organize a to-do list. The following is one way I have used (off and on) for several years (credited to Hyrum W. Smith). I use it when I feel overwhelmed with things that have accumulated.
1. Put all of your tasks on a list.
2. Place one of the following letters before each task:
- A (must do)
- B (should do) - can be postponed to another date
- C (can do) - can be postponed to another date
3. Next, place a number after the letter to prioritize which A, B, and C tasks you will focus on completing first.
| Priority | Task |
| B1 | Write a blog about being more productive |
| A1 | Network with other BI Bloggers - link to some |
| A2 | Research metric tools such as Blogpulse |
| C1 | Add a counter - structuretoobig |
4. Begin work on task A1, and then move on to task A2. If there is time left, begin on task B1.
Although this can all be done in a notepad or on paper, these methods have since been integrated into software that can work in Microsoft Office 2007 or can be installed on a standalone computer. Like most good software, what makes the tool valuable are the time management principles that give it reason to exist. You can review that software here (FranklinCovey).
