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Meg Edwards
Are you attracted to your to-do list?
As you look at your to- do list do you say to yourself any of the following,
“I can’t do that”, “I am unclear about that”, “Eww this is overwhelming!”.
As a result, when most people are scanning through their to-do list what they are scanning for are those things that are easy, fun, interesting or a crisis. If you recognize any of these responses to your to- do list then read on because there are some great tips you will be receiving to move your to -do list from an “I can’t do” to -do list to “I can do” to- do list.
As the primary tele-coach consultant for The David Allen & Company, part of my job entails reviewing with people on a regular basis their to -do list, which at DAC we call the next action list.
During this process people fax me their next action list so that we can review them together. One of the things I often notice as I am reviewing the next action list is that they tend to consist of a combination of tasks and unclear activities. My definition for a task is a series of actions that lead to a smaller outcome or sub-project rather than a single action activity.
An example of an unclear activity might be “ communicate to staff”. Perhaps there is a lot of information to communicate but the very first thing to complete that activity hasn’t been clearly defined.
So, how do you do move from “ Eww!” to “Ahh…?”
It doesn’t happen by itself. You have to do some thinking.
First, you take one item at a time. Then you need to ask some questions for each item. The first question is “ It is truly the next physically do-able action?”. If the answer is “Yes”, the next question to ensure it is so is, “Do I have everything I need in order to do this.? For example if you have “write manual” on a next action list, “Is that truly the next action?”. If you’ve not clarified the purpose of the manual, gathered all the data, done the research necessary, brainstormed or outlined the format for the manual, and are ready to sit down and start typing then writing the manual is not the next action.
The next action is the very first thing you need to do to move on that item.
Every single next action begins with a verb. The verb defines the next physical activity you need to engage in when you pick this item or project up again. For example:
-Calls
-Email
-Draft
-Fax
-Fill Out
-Review
-Find
-Gather
-Buy
-Purge
-Look Into (Web)
-Measure
These examples are what every item on your next action list should start with.
To illustrate the difference between an unclear list and a clearly defined action list look at the following: List A is a list of unclear actions and complex activities and tasks. List B has taken each item from list A and answered the questions mentioned above. So list B is a clearly defined next action list.
List A: Unclear actions
Write manual
Communicate with Staff
Wills
Insurance claim
Filing system
New screen door
Networking card?
List B: Clearly defined next action
Draft outline for manual
Schedule time to write email to staff
Call lawyer to make an apt re: wills 207-840-1122
Find the insurance claim
Purge files in top drawer
Measure door to see what size we need.
Email Eric re: do I need a new card or not?
So when you have successfully answered these questions you have now created I can do to- do lists. This will move you out of the “I don’t know what to do” to ”I can do this, I know what to do”. And then, you will be more motivated to look at your lists
When you’ve got clarity on what every single next action is, then your intuition comes into play and you know that you are going to make the right choice.
How much time does it takes to think about this stuff? Not long usually about 30 seconds or so, but the time it saves you on the back end is enormous.
If you’d like more info, check out Chapter 12: the Power of the Next-Action Decision in David’s book, Getting Things Done. You’re also welcome to contact us about how the Building Consistency program can support you.
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