Do Here Now

Article that appeared in The New Leaf ™.

Time management, motivation and organization lead the list of concerns addressed by self improvement and professional advancement workshops. Sometimes the solution can be as simple as this:

DO HERE NOW.

That's right, not "Be here now," as wise as that advice may be, but "Do here now." Here's how:

1. Put both beginning and ending times on your plans. (Clean garage, 10 - 1, Saturday.)

2. When seriously stuck, start at the top of the stack. Don't even think about prioritizing until you've generated enough momentum to get unstuck.

3. Be honest. Decide NOT to do what you aren't going to do anyway. (This is a terrific way to shorten your task list and lighten your heart.)

4. Put banks on the river. Take a day off. Stop work at 6 PM. If you are self employed, this is especially important for you. It is too easy to work virtually all the time, but at low intensity and with poor focus. Limiting work hours will instantly sharpen focus and build intensity.

5. Choose the level of organization that matches your personal style and meets your needs. Why fantasize about (and invest in) elaborate organizational tools when you are always going to be a three cigar box kind of record keeper? Better to commit to using those three boxes and using them well (e.g., letting papers accumulate in reverse chronological order).

6. Stop making commitments you can't or won't keep. If you discover that you've slipped into the habit of saying, "Yes," when you meant, "No," correct the situation immediately. "Circumstances have changed and I can no longer..." works. Don't even think of giving an elaborate explanation, just correct the bottom line.