Do you struggle focusing on what needs to be accomplished? This 3 step plan show you how to focus on what’s important and get things done!
How do you get it all done?
If you’re like me you get asked this question all the time. On the surface, it probably looks like we have it all together.
But the truth is that it hasn’t been easy and it hasn’t been by accident.
So when people ask us how to get things done we’re not quite sure what to say. Do they want to know that it takes a LOT of hard work and practicing time management on SO many levels, or do they want a quick and easy answer?
Yeah, you’re right. They want quick and easy!
So here’s our quick and easy, top secret weapon for getting things done:
We don’t have a television.
When David and I got married 25 years ago we made the decision to ditch our tv, and I have to say that it’s probably the best decision we’ve ever made! Not only do we have more time, but we also have one less distraction.
But the truth is that learning how to get things done is about more than just trading one chunk of time for another. To figure out how to focus and get things done in your own life, it’s necessary to take stock of your current situation and make a few hard decisions.
Here’s our 3-step plan
1. Let go of what’s not important.
We are all so obsessed with being busy! How often do we text a friend, apologizing for not being in touch because we’ve been crazy busy?
Busy is the new black. If you’re not busy, you need to get busy!
Hey, if you’re not busy, you must be just.plain.lazy.
But guess what. Busy does not mean productive.
We can be really busy running around doing stuff that does NOT move the needle financially, that does NOT deepen our relationship with our spouse, that does NOT foster connection with our community.
If you really want to get more done, take a hard look at what’s keeping you busy.
- Are you getting the results you want?
- Is the work bringing you joy?
- Is what you’re doing absolutely necessary to get you where you want to go?
No? Then it’s time to move on.
Let go of the projects that aren’t worthwhile and focus on the ones that get results!
2. focus on what has to be done.
Okay! Now that we know what must get done it’s time to get it done!
Maybe you’ve heard the old joke: How do you eat an elephant?
Answer: One bite at a time!
In order to focus on what needs to be done, a few productivity tricks are in order.
Our Assemble A Joyful Life printable planning sheets will help you get organized (and look cute while doing it!) Get them HERE.
- Do a brain dump of all the big jobs that need doing. Unless you’ve got an orderly file-cabinet brain (I don’t), you’ll need to get all those random thoughts out of your head and onto paper. Somehow seeing it all laid out makes it more manageable, so take a piece of paper and jot down EVERY job that needs doing. Don’t filter yourself! Just get it all written down in one place.
- Break those big jobs into smaller tasks. Once you’ve created the master list (aka brain dump), you can begin to dissect those big jobs into manageable tasks. Take each job on your list and, on a new piece of paper, write down the individual steps needed to get it done. Be as specific as possible — you’re looking for mouth size bites of that elephant!
- Assign tasks to your calendar. Now it’s time to assign those individual steps to your personal calendar. If you’re like me, if you want something done, you’re going to have to schedule it! Give yourself deadlines and mark those deadlines on a calendar that you’ll see often. I use both a paper version AND the calendar on my phone for double accountability!
- Create a daily checklist. The final step is to take the scheduled tasks and break them down even further into daily doses. I like to do this the night before by writing down the one thing I can do the next day to move forward. Think about it: If you do just one thing each day you’ll reach your goals in record time.
3. Hire help when you need it.
So now you’ve weeded out what’s unnecessary and established a productivity calendar. Easy sailing, right?
Maybe not.
Maybe there are certain jobs that have to be done but you absolutely HATE doing them. Or maybe you’re just not very good at them. Or maybe you still have way too much on your plate. It may be time to bring in reinforcements.
I’ve worked in restaurants my whole life. So when we opened our downtown café, I designed the space, planned the menu, shopped for the groceries and cooked the food. I was in the kitchen every day. Can you guess what happened?
Well, two things.
First, I became convinced that NO one else could do what I was doing. I just knew that if I wasn’t there the whole place would fall apart.
And the second thing?
Total burn out.
So after 4 years of thinking that I had to do it if it was gonna get done, I finally broke down and hired and trained a cook. And you know what? The café was just fine.
Cooking the food for the restaurant was a job that HAD to be done. But I didn’t have to do it.
Take a look at your must-be-done tasks and ask yourself: Am I the best person for this job? If not, find the right person and pass it on!
Your time is valuable and limited. Use it to do the jobs that only you can do.
A bit random, granted, but here are 2 of our most recipes from the café:
Let’s review how to focus and get things done
We’re all looking for ways to better manage our time and to be more productive. Developing a time management plan can help you gain clarity on which tasks are vital for progress.
- Let go of what’s not important. Not everything we do is of equal value. Be willing to let go of the unfruitful things so that you can focus on the great ones!
- Focus on what has to be done. Spend your time on the absolutely vital tasks that can’t be left undone. Break those big tasks into mouth-size bites and schedule, schedule, schedule!
- Hire help when you need it. There will be times when you need help to get everything done. Don’t be too proud or too cheap to get the help you need!
Getting everything done might never be easy, but this 3 step plan to focus and get things done will give you the tools you need to move ahead with confidence and clarity!
