GETTING THINGS DONE

– This is how you get everything back in order –

Normally, it is of course up to May-Britt to provide the necessary business advice, but today I will take a seat in her chair. I am actually a master at making to-do lists , and I am even so advanced in this story that I make to-do lists of to-do lists and put at the top of my list that I need to make a new to-do list. You understand, it has become quite a ritual and actually it is so intense that I sometimes get asked if I even have time to do other things in my life besides making those lists.

Last week I had an event from Clinique for the Smart family, a line of products that tackles all skin problems in one bottle. And that is super handy for women who don’t have much time, who have enough swirling around in their heads, and who therefore have more to do than to spend three hours on a morning ritual. At that event, we had a workshop about the book ‘Getting Things Done’ by David Allen, the most famous productivity guru in the world. The idea is that he provides some calm in the god-awfully busy life we all have and thus creates some order and ensures that the to-do list gets completed instead of just getting longer and longer.

Now you might be thinking: how then? Well, I thought the same, but I have diligently typed this out for you. In five steps, you can achieve a clear mind, allowing you to enjoy the moment a bit more and not come across as so absent during an important meeting. I say; read and learn. It may take a bit of extra time at first, so a longer to-do list, but ultimately you will work much faster and more carefully and have so much more time left over.

Step 1 – Collecting

Write it down immediately when you think of something. Often you think: oh I need to take this with me tomorrow, but then you forget it the next day. So write everything down. Remembering everything takes up space in your head , and since you have about 70,000 thoughts in a day, that can be quite a lot. Evernote and Wunderlist are apps that can help you with this so you don’t have to carry a notebook everywhere.

Step 2 – Deciding

What does what you have written down mean? Do you want to do something with that thought or do you set it aside? You can also make separate lists here, where you push something to the back burner or put it on the ‘to arrange quickly’ list. In any case, decide whether you are going to do something with it, because otherwise it will just linger in your head. Oh, and apply the two-minute rule. If you can do something within two minutes (replying to an email or taking out the trash), then it should not end up on your list, but you should just do it right away.

Step 3 – Organizing

Organize everything. Attach deadlines to it, have it all lined up for yourself. It only gets messy if you don’t do anything with it. So stack your mail and keep your administration neat. More unrest will only arise if you don’t keep up with it. And by organizing well, you often make a decision about it right away.

Step 4 – Reflecting

By reflecting well, you can make the right choice. It sounds silly, but take a moment each week to go through everything. Click a few weeks ahead in your calendar, but also scroll back. This way, you look much more consciously at everything you have done and can choose with the right perspective.

Step 5 – Doing

Make the right choice in an active way. So don’t just execute blindly, but really see if it means something to you. And otherwise, just don’t do it. Get rid of the ballast.