ORGANIZE: Managing Tasks

Earlier in the program you developed an action map and identified supporting habits and checklists. Now we aim to connect your action map so that achieving your vision becomes fully-integrated with your day-to-day life . Over the next few sections, you will learn a variety of approaches for handling tasks and appointments. Why a variety? Because there is no one-size-fits-all approach. However, I will give you lots of ideas, with pros and cons, on how to develop your tailored approach.

Life is rarely simple though and so I will outline an approach, CARPE, that will enable you to process, triage, new demands for your attention. And then it’s on to consider how to schedule your day for maximum productivity, efficiency tips and getting the most from meetings. There is also an interesting perspective on Rituals and how they can help you to achieve the optimum mindset. I was initially sceptical of rituals but have most certainly revised my opinion!

Having a System

I am not advocating one particular approach over another; my experience suggests that there is no universal approach that works for everyone and that even small details can make a difference to the success or failure of a system with a particular individual.

I will suggest a number of options but ultimately, you have to discover which system works best for you.

But don’t expect perfection – the very things that make a system effective in one aspect, reduce efficiency in another area.

The key is to explore the options, make a decision on your approach, tweak as you apply it – and then get on with your life!

Don’t waste time trying to perfect the system; it’s a fool’s errand.

Your system is a means to an end, not an end in itself.