By James A. Baker · Founder, Baker Communications
Always begin your day with a prioritized to-do list, but be prepared to defend it. There is no more greedy time bandit than unscheduled interruptions. Phone calls, drop-ins, and “emergency” projects can quickly eat up the time you had set aside for your most important work. Remember, the rest of the office or the rest of the world doesn’t know what you have on your to-do list for today, and they are not likely to if you don’t tell them. There is nothing wrong with saying, “Hazel, I would love to talk longer, but I must get this project finished before lunch. Thank you for understanding.” Treat your to-do list like an appointment list. People always understand when you say, “I wish I could help, but I have an appointment I must keep.” The fact that the appointment is with yourself and your professional responsibilities shouldn’t make any difference. Learn to say “No,” in a nice way, and you will get more done.
One of the most lightly regarded time bandits is that of not putting enough on your to-do list. I know this may sound like a recipe for disaster, but put more on your to-do list than you will probably be able to achieve in one day. It is common knowledge that the time it takes to do a project always seems to equal the amount of time you allot for it. In other words, if you only have one project to do today, it will take all day. If you have three things to do today, you will usually find a way to fit them all in (as long as they aren’t all the scope of major annual reports). The key factor here, though, is that the more things that must be done, the more ferociously you protect your time and focus your energy. If you put eight important items on your list for today, the chances are you may only get five done, but I can promise you that if you only put three items on your list, you will get no more than three done. You tell me, which is the more productive plan?. At the end of the day, success should be measured in how much you accomplished, not in whether or not you did 100% of the items on your list. Five out of eight beats three out of three every time.
