A 2015 study by Ernst and Young showed that modern working lives are increasingly complex – We usually have a lot of varied responsibilities and work longer hours. And, of course, there’s always multiple things to distract us. It’s no surprise many of us feel overwhelmed, distracted and struggle to focus.
There are a lot of different productivity methods out there, and if you’re like me, you’ve tried most of them. But, in many cases we focus on time instead of how to manage our attention. There are only 24 hours in a day, and no matter what we do or what productivity method we choose, there are still only 24 hours in a day, and usually there’s an infinite number of things we need to do, or possibilities to pursue. But, of course we can’t do everything. It’s much better to choose a few things and do them well than to choose too many things and do them badly.
Mark Forster created a productivity method with this in mind. This productivity method will help you grapple with energy and time constraints and ensure that you’re giving every area of your life the attention it deserves.
Use The Commitment Inventory if you:
- Find yourself stretched too thin and can’t make meaningful progress on anything
- Don’t feel like your to-do list lines up with your priorities
- Have a hard time saying no to new commitments and projects
- Want to be more focused in what you do
How to Complete A Commitment Inventory
- Create an exhaustive list of everything you spend time on (this can be work and home things)
- Consolidate into categories and assign a % to each one
- Trim down your list of commitments and ensure each category has enough time to do it properly
- Organize your to-do list around your chosen categories
- Breakdown big tasks into smaller checklists
- Worked in timed bursts aligned with your categories
Create a List
Try to prune down your list of commitments and don’t be afraid to say no to projects that aren’t a priority. To do this, make a long list of all commitments and activities that’s going on in your life. Include everything you have to complete and everything you do (or want to do) for fun. Remember to also note down your basic needs and daily errands – they take up part of your day.
Add Up the % and Trim Your List
Your initial list may seem long, but now it’s time to combine some categories and eliminate some others. Some categories may overlap, and that’s perfectly ok.
Repeat this process until you have a list you’re satisfied with. Then start to figure out realistically how much time you have for each area of your life. Give each category a percentage (the percent of the day, week or month) you’re willing to spend on it. Remember your total can’t go over 100% as we’ve still not figured out how to clone ourselves.
Ensure Each Category Has Enough Time to do it Well
Remember to apply enough time to each category so you can do it well. It’s not worth dedicating yourself to a task or project if you can’t spend adequate time on it. Trim your list down again to ensure you can focus on the things you need to focus on.
Organize Your To-do List
Now is the time to translate your priorities into your daily actions. To help with this, consider using a checklist or to-do list, either on paper or an app. Each category should be a priority, but some tasks within those categories will be more urgent than others. So, start creating tasks and sub tasks to help you organize your time.
Once this is done, every time you look at your to-do list, you’ll have a visual reminder of your categories and the most important tasks within them. And, you’ll feel satisfaction as you start marking them done.
Whenever you add a new task, decide what category it fits in. If it doesn’t fit, ask yourself if it’s really worth doing right now.
Consider a Checklist Rather Than a To-do List
It may sound irrelevant, but there are differences between the two. Typically a to-do list contains a list of unrelated tasks that you need to complete within a specified timeframe. The problem is, they can be overwhelming and you may find yourself looking at yours and sighing.
On the other hand, checklists break down a project into smaller steps, which reduces the risk of becoming overwhelmed. Items on a checklist often become more concrete, manageable steps that you can check off as you complete them.
For example if your to-do list includes write 5 items, and you’ve not had much sleep, it may appear too much. But, a checklist that says:
- Write item 1
- Revise item 1
- Submit item 1
- Write item 2
- Revise item 2
- Submit item 2
- Etc
It appears more doable, and easier to handle. With a checklist, you can focus your priority on the top item and forget about the rest until the first is done.
Work in Bursts
Inner resistance is a big problem. It’s easy to feel too tired, too overwhelmed or just not in the mood. But, it’s not the only problem, especially when working from home. If you become bored or frustrated, it’s easy to hop on Facebook, Twitter or your favorite social media site. Or, you can get so engrossed in research that you lose track of time.
Setting a time limit for things forces you to focus. And, you know at the end of it you can have a small break for your favorite cat video. Because they are so useful, timed bursts are used in a lot of productivity methods including time blocking and the pomodoro technique. But, with the Commitment Inventory you’re rotating your time between your categories.
And that’s it. Prioritize your days into workable categories and assign time to them. Then create checklists for the things you need to do within those categories and work in time bursts. Remember to allocate some time for fun and to take breaks.