Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Getting stuff done.

Sometimes my to-do list seems like it only gets longer.  Everything I check off the list is replaced by two more things.  That seems to be a common feeling among tech leaders in the church.  There are always new systems to design, gear to repair, volunteers to work with, and meetings to attend.  So how do you get ahead, or at least keep up?

Most projects, while they seem like daunting jobs, are really just a whole bunch of smaller tasks.  And usually the individual tasks don't take all that long.  If you break down projects into smaller tasks and then calendar your day to accomplish those things in the most efficient manner, its amazing how much you can get done.  Intentionality matters.

It also helps to keep Twitter and Facebook closed while trying to push through your to-do list.  And keep email closed too unless you're actually using it.  Trying to multitask wastes a lot of time.  Studies have shown that bouncing from task to task actually lowers effectiveness.  Focusing on one thing at a time not only helps get it done well, but also faster.  I find that I fly though tasks on my computer when I close all other programs (and browser tabs) except the ones I'm using specifically for the project.

Distilling jobs down into smaller tasks allows you to easily gauge your progress on a job.  It helps provide a clearer time frame for completion because its easier to estimate the time it will take to do the individual steps.  And it also is way more satisfying to check several things off your list at the end of the day, rather than checking off...nothing.




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