Last week we discussed planning the new 4-H year, but frankly the best laid plans can quickly go astray. Why? If you are like me, other “stuff” can quickly eat up the time you need to create good work… if you let it.
To do big things, you have to carve out chunks of time. When I say chunks, I mean 4 plus hours, not 20 minutes. It’s necessary to have large blocks of time so that you can… dare I say it… think. Impossible you say? Behold- the power of PROJECT DAYS!
On the Get it Done Guy podcast (one of my favorites!) host Stever Robbins recently espoused the virtue of assigning yourself to “Project Days.” A Project Day is a day in which you block off to focus on that one big project that has been on your to-do list that needs your maximum focus.
It’s all too easy to multitask with the multitude of distractions in the office (phone, emails, PEOPLE). Frankly, sometimes it even feels good- “I’ll work on this difficult thinking project for a little bit, then I’ll check some mind-numbing email, then I’ll clean my desk, then I’ll go back to my project”. However at the end of the day… how do you feel? Chances are- frazzled and empty. You’ve been busy all day and yet have accomplished little. On the contrast, how do you feel when you accomplish a BIG THING on your list? Accomplished? At ease? Invigorated to do more? THAT is the feeling for which we want to aim.
So what do you do? Once a week (insomuch as possible) block off one day as your “Project Day.” It is during this day that you will focus your maximum effort on one project. Try to limit all other distractions on this day, get outside of your office if you need too (trust me, my local library knows me well). Communicate with your colleagues and staff at your office about what you are doing, and as Nike says- Just Do It. Don’t give yourself excuses, don’t invent other work you need to do before completing your project, just focus… on… your… project.
For more information on Project Days check out Get It Done Guy: Project Days.
For other time management entries on this blog visit:
FACT: Your To-Do List Will Never Be Done
Workflowy for Organizing Tasks
Fight the Oppression of Urgency with Annual Calendar Planning
A Holistic Look at Your Weekly Schedule
Your Monday Morning Productivity Boost
Florida 4-H: Northeast District 