How many times have you heard that the answer to your time management challenges is to make lists of tasks and maintain one calendar for all of your activities?  I used to buy into this theory.  I found that To Do Lists and Calendars provided constant chastisement for all that I had not finished.  I can see my messy office and the sink full of dishes.  I do not need some electronic device reminding me to get busy.

Maybe my rebellious personality has become more developed since I left the corporate world.  If organizers were the answer to everything, companies and governments would run like clockwork.  We all know that they do not run efficiently.  My first year away from the drudgery of the corporate life was an eye-opening struggle to figure out how to fill my time.

Today, I cannot find enough hours in every day.  I make a plan for the week on Sunday evenings just to prevent procrastination.  A daily starting point has been essential for getting started at a consistent time each day.  Beyond that, I will work through my mountain of tasks at my own pace and in an order that makes sense.

Maybe you are like me.  Your best motivation is to complete the work in the logical order that prevents discouragement with your rate of progress.  In addition, I manage my workload across the entire week.  There are few tasks that I do every day.  I work in large chunks of time.  I make more progress without interruption when I am able to move from task to task without much of a plan.

How do you conquer your To Do List and Calendar?

Leave a comment and join the conversation.

— Mialei