“If we fail to plan, we are planning to fail.”
It takes so much longer to accomplish a project or even to walk through a day with victory if we have no plan. Here are two techniques I have used for many years:
Daily Framework
Our Daily Framework is a set of actions, positive rituals that provide a solid foundation for the success of our day. With time and training these will become habits, which will progress into routines and go on to auto-pilot with time. Auto-pilot is where the magic begins. When routines are on autopilot, they are just a part of who we are and they are easy to implement. In fact they are then easier to do than not to do.
An example of my personal Daily Framework is:
- Bible Reading
- Exercise
- Planning
- Dance Practice (as we prepare for our 50th wedding anniversary)
The Big Six
Andrew Carnegie hired a consultant to make his business more prosperous. One idea given to him by the consultant was not included in the billing. When Andrew Carnegie told the consultant that he was never billed for this idea, the man said, “Why don’t you just pay me for what you think it is worth.” Carnegie sent him a check for $20,000!
So what is the Big Six? It is simply a list of all the things you need to do today. Go back and put numbers on the top six. When it is clear to you what #1 is, stay on #1 until it is completed or it changes. All you do all day long is work on the #1 item. You focus on #1, thinking of no other item on your list. I have implemented this for many years now, always searching for the very best way to capture and work with my list. I have used a variety of tools over these years including a day planner, my digital reminders on my Iphone, and/or a beautifully designed planner. All worked well, but each had its drawbacks.
Wunderlist
Very recently I found a resource on the internet called Wunderlist at Wunderlist.com. This was found with the discovery of a blog site called Just a Girl and Her Blog. I saw a post about all the wonders of Wunderlist. As I write this, my experience with Wunderlist is short, but I can say with certainty that this is the very best, tool for “framing my day” and planning my weeks that I have ever worked with. For me, I incorporate my Daily Framework as well as The Big Six with Wunderlist. It is so easy to use that you can be up and running almost immediately. I set up one of my lists as “Daily Framework” and I set it to automatically recur daily. Just love the feeling of checking the items off daily and hear them fly away! This task management system is free and can be used on all of your electronic devices. The beauty of it is that somehow it magically syncs everything seamlessly together no matter which device you are on. It is perfect for easy access with your smart phone, ipad, laptop, and desktop.
Evernote Essentials
In the same blog post on Just a Girl and Her Blog, she also mentioned Evernote Essentials. You will want to check this one out too. This is a great place for capturing ideas and Wunderlist is the tool for collecting, organizing and completing tasks. Each of us have responsibilities and tasks to fulfill. I would also dare to say that each of us could use more organization in our life and more time for ourselves.
We don’t have to be a CEO of a business to utilize these exceptional and free tools.
Life is filled with possibilities. Our task is to make ourselves architects of the future. ~ Jenyatta
Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. ~ Eph 5:17
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