Getting Your “To Do” List and Calendar to Work Together
As is normal, early in a new year there is a lot of focus on being better organized. Looking for new ways to get more done. This has been a topic that has come up in several conversations over the past few weeks. At the same time, there can be a sense of despair, knowing that you’ve been trying to be better organized over and over without much success.
We all have way more on our to do lists than there is time to get them done. The days come to an end and there’s still things that need to be done and we feel like we’ve failed.
Last week, we discussed the importance of taking the first next step. It’s about breaking big, overwhelming things down into small, manageable pieces.
Ultimately, it’s not going to get done if you don’t do something.
I know this feeling of wanting to do more and not having enough time to do it all. Then we beat ourselves up, frustrated that we didn’t get more done.
The question is … what are you going to do to change this?
I don’t know what you’re going to do, but here’s what I do.
I have a long, long list of things that I want to do. This list covers big dreams I want to do someday like: remodeling and adding on to our home, keeping my truck in “like-new” condition, having a lifted 4×4 project truck, owning properties, having a second home in the mountains. Keep in mind that when these big things are broken down into more detailed lists, each list is pretty big.
Then there are the lists of everyday work and life. Like spiritual, family, vocation, financial, personal, church, community. Just like the someday lists, these lists are made of more detailed lists.
How am I ever going to get everything done?
For me the lists are great. It helps me to keep track of the things I want to do so I don’t forget something. This, however, does not get them done.
To get them done, I have to do something. But what do I do first? How do I know which things are the most important?
The answer to this question comes down to choice. You can choose what is the most important to you. This is where I align my thoughts with God’s. What is it He has put me here to do?
Now that I have a prioritized list, this still doesn’t mean there’s enough time to get everything done. We are limited in the amount of time we have.
For me, this is where the calendar comes in. People that see my calendar are shocked at how full it is, the detail, and the color.
I take things from the to do list and plug them into the calendar. I estimate the time I think it will take and schedule accordingly. Sure, things don’t take exactly the time scheduled, but it’s a place to start.
This is where being flexibly rigid comes in. This is the act of organizing the most important things around the unpredictability of life.
Next week, we’ll go deeper into the details of how my list and calendar work together.
