E is for Effort - How Not To Waste It.

Today I was thinking about work. Mostly about how little I've got done the last year. But it's going better now, because of one simple adjustment I've recently made to how I go about things.

Planning the Day

Instead of looking at my huge list of things I need to accomplish, freaking out and plotzing all over the place (don't you love that word?) I've taken to starting the day with my morning coffee at my desk, and making a short list of things I am going to work on that day. It's been an absolute revelation, which really ought not to have been the case, because in my 20 years in I.T. the amount of money my various employers spent on sending me on management courses would probably have bought a Federal politician. As a result of doing this, in the last two weeks I've seen my Todo list shrink to a much more comfortable level, as several major things have been crossed off, and all around it is far less panic-inducing than it was, with a consequent enhancement of my productivity (see how I can talk the management talk?).

So, today being my day off, I started by deferring the work I need to do on the long story I have in progress (first revisions and proof edit) till Monday. That shrank things down a bit, and then I turned over a new page in my big spiral book (the Day Book) and laid out my day.

The Day Book

Here's my book for today. It's already 1024, so it's been filled out.

The Day Book is also something I've recently started. It's just a spiral notebook - foolscap size, so there's plenty of room. At the top I write the day. This is important - if I don't even know what day it is, I'm in more trouble than The Book can provide. Doing this gives me a small glow of accomplishment already. It's pathetic, I know, but there's just something about writing the heading of a list. Don't judge me.

Next, I put in any fixed engagements. Tonight there is a dance party, so I have written it in the lower half of the page. It's enclosed in a rectangle, because that's the convention I use.

Next the things that have to be done today go in, and they get enclosed in an oval, because they're not fixed times, but must be done at some point. Today, I must take Emily for a bath, and pick up and drop off at the cleaners.

Next, I make a short list of what I'll be working on, for this day only. Today, I've chosen Bat Rescue, WHB Floors and the novel writing course I'm doing. The course, because it is not part of my Work Plan for the year, can count as either a work or leisure activity.

As the day is already underway, I've already been talking to someone about the bat rescue. I've got my vaccinations done and I'm ready to start volunteering. Now you can see why I use the big size of notebook. The rest of the page can be used for notes as the day develops. Bat rescue is important. Our local bats, the Grey-headed Flying Fox, are an important part of our ecology, as they pollinate.

Grey-headed Flying Foxes. Aren't they divine?

The next item on the list, WHB Floors, is my cleaning assignment for Fridays. WHB stands for Weekly Home Blessing. It's a feature of the Flylady home management system, which I can't recommend enough, and if you are interested to know more you can find it here: www.flylady.net. It's free and very, very effective.

Finally, the course. As part of the coursework I must write 750 words a day on my project and report progress every Friday, so that is the third item on today's list.

So there's the day laid out. I've already spoken to the bat people, and there's a bit of admin work I still need to do for them. I've started on the floors - preliminary work is shoe cleaning and laundry, as this enables me to clear my closet floor for vacuuming. Now, before I settle down to write my wordcount, I decide to do the other stuff. I can visit the cleaners on the way to the dog wash, and then that will be crossed off and I can settle down with more coffee to do the rest. See how the day is taking shape, with no wasted trips because I planned it so I only have to go out once? A big part of productivity for me is not spinning my wheels.

Because I'm going to Petstock anyway, I take the opportunity to stock up on the good dog biscuits. That's another trip I won't have to make - time saved on some future day.

Before

After

I'm back at my desk at 1150, with dry cleaning put away, a clean dog, and a comfortable feeling that the day's going the way I want. Next is to deal with matters arising from tasks 1 and 2, because once I settle down to work on that book I don't want them jostling about in my head. I must provide some information to the bat rescue group, turn over the washing and pick up and vacuum the floors. 

By one o'clock that's all done, and I've had lunch, so I can turn my energy to the book. I need to write 750 words today; that's not a terribly big ask, and then I can actually have some of my day off for quality time with the kids. That's a great incentive. 

As I've mentioned before, I work best in short bursts, so as breakout activities during the next couple of hours I check my email and messages, and check and approve a paperback proof and order a proof copy. I've got my wordcount by 3:30, leaving a couple of hours for quality time with the kids.

It hasn't been much of a 'day off', but everything I need to achieve has been done, plus a few extras, and I'm feeling pretty well on top of things and looking forward to some leisure, and later, the dance party. 

What I Take Away From This.

There are two aspects to what I see from today. One is how focussing down to a small list can concentrate your effort so that you actually do get stuff done. The other aspect is how much less tiring it is. On days like this before I adopted this 'short list' system, I'd be exhausted by three-thirty, or even earlier. Now, although I've worked hard and I'm tired, it's nothing that a short rest won't fix, and I'm looking forward to drinking and dancing the night away with my friends this evening.