Steve Spring offers a simple way to complete the tasks that matter most to us.
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Have you ever struggled through what seems to be one unproductive day after another? Do you promise yourself that tomorrow will be different, but things never seem to change? Do you start you day with the best intentions, but before you know it, it is lunch time and you haven’t accomplished anything significant.
My days used to be like that, and some of them still are. Thankfully, most of them are not. What I discovered is that the best way to be more productive tomorrow is lay the groundwork today.
One simple way to accomplish this is to pick your top three outcomes for the day and add them to the top of your to-do list. These three outcomes will guide all the rest of your tasks. They are non-negotiable, and you should be committed to completing them no matter what. If you accomplish these three outcomes you will be more productive and you can consider your day a success.
The night before, go over your schedule and see what you’re going to do and what the purpose of what you’re doing is,” [Ask] what am I trying to get out of this?—Robert Pozen author of Extreme Productivity
Next, connect each of your three outcomes to your why. Having a thorough understanding of why you are going to accomplish these three things will help you be more productive and effective.
Third, connect your three outcomes to your purpose. Knowing why you are trying to accomplish these things is important, and connecting your outcomes to your purpose will help you see how they will help you achieve your greater purpose.
Three steps that you can use to be more productive tomorrow:
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Step 1—Identify your three key daily outcomes. Choose your three most important outcomes for tomorrow. For example, your three most important outcomes might be: “I completed the quarterly update to my life plan,” “I finished reading Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think,” and “I installedEvernote.”
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Step 2—Determine your “why” for each one. Having a thorough understanding of why you are trying to accomplish each item on your to-do list will help you be more effective. For example, “I want to install Evernote because it will help me become more effective.”
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Step 3—Connect your outcomes to your purpose. Connecting your outcomes to your purpose will help you see how today’s accomplishments help you change your life. For example, “Updating my life plan will help me to move from where I am to where I want to be.”
Planning tomorrow’s daily outcomes today will allow you to be more productive tomorrow. You will be able to start your day with a plan. Will your plan ever get derailed? Sure it will! Will it help you get back on track and accomplish your daily outcomes? Absolutely!
The most important thing that you can do to be more productive tomorrow is to plan today!
Originally published on Live Your Life on Purpose.
Photo—thebarrowboy/Flickr
One Thing That You Can Do Today To Be More Productive Tomorrow –
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