You never meant to let it come to this. You put in the time and effort to make things work. And now, {insert dramatic music}, you’ve left your effectiveness lists alone for so long that they are a horror.
Does this mean you must not be one of those really effective people? Or that you should abandon your system?
No. And try not to worry. It happens to the best of us. 🙂
It is a fairly simple fix that may take several hours spread over several days or a week.
Here’s what to do to get your system humming again.
- Scan your emails, meeting notes, snail mail, and other potentially significant scraps of paper. Copy into your hopper list anything that you are committed or potentially committed to acting on at some time.
- Do a “catch up” scan of your hopper list. Look for items that you
- Have already completed. Mark these complete. Feel the thrill of checking them off.
- No longer intend to do. Delete these. Feel the joy of deleting them.
- Must do immediately. Do these. Feel the relief of having caught these before it was too late. (Or write the apology emails for any deadlines you may have missed.)
- Repeat the above “catch up scan” for your the rest of your lists in your system.
- Do a full daily refresh to clear your hoppers and get everything else back on track.
- Congratulate your self for restarting your effectiveness habits.
Simple.
To your continued success,
Mike