Too Many Little Jobs On Your To Do List?

Do you have lots of important 'little jobs' on your To Do List which need to be done, but always seem to be put off to 'Tomorrow' because other priorities and tasks keep taking precedence?

Me too and I was tired of solving this problem by simply moving them on to yet another list.

 

I was also frustrated with sometimes getting to the end of the day and feeling like I'd achieved nothing because it had been one of 'those' days, and I'd had too many of 'those' days each month.

If this sounds all too familiar, let me share with you my 30 minute a day solution to get those little jobs off the To Do List once and for all.

So what do I mean by a 'little job'?

 

Little jobs are things like:
• email such and such to order...
• phone someone about...
• download photos off phone and email to... etc.

 

Little jobs, though sometimes annoying, absolutely need to be done BUT first you have to determine IF that's actually the case or is it a shiny object distraction AND then can it realistically be completed in 5 minutes or less.

Then I had the idea.

 

What if I allocated the first 30 minutes of my day not to checking emails, but to all those little jobs which didn't require a lot of mental energy and would definitely take 5 minutes or less to complete?

And so my simple 7 Step '5 Minute Post it Note System' was born.

Step 1 Every day, block out the first 30 minutes in your diary for 5 Minute Jobs

This becomes a not negotiable meeting and thus a habit which you create and isn't moved.

 

In the rare instance this doesn't happen, you must commit to completing these jobs before you leave the office so they aren't moved to tomorrow's list. Otherwise, you're back to square one.

Step 2 Post It Notes
Using either paper post it notes (which I do as I'm a pen and paper girl) or the app, jot down every task you know will take 5 minutes or less to complete.

 

Use 1 post it note for each task.

Step 3 Visual Collation
As I'm a visual person and work from home, I place all these post it notes on one piece of butchers paper labelled 5 minute jobs.

 

I can then see every 5 minute job I have to do.

Step 4 Prioritise
I then re-order the post it notes based on due date and priority so they change from random chaos to a simple system.

Step 5 Prep For Tomorrow Today
Every day before I leave the office, I review my post it notes and grab the seven (7) I will complete the next day.

 

These go on my wall next to the computer so I'm ready to go first thing the next morning.

Step 6 Timer
The next day, the first thing I do once the computer has booted up, are my 5 minute post it notes.

 

To ensure I'm not distracted by other shiny objects eg reading emails or answering the phone, I set a timer which pushes me to complete these 7 tasks.

Step 7 Crumple or Delete
Once each task is completed, I love to crumple up the post it note, throw it in the bin with great satisfaction and a smile on my face and a nod of my head as I utter the words 'Job Done' in the style of comedian Jimeoin.

Now I'm sure you're reading this and saying, 'Tamara, your math isn't very good because 6 x 5 minute jobs equals 30 minutes, not 7'.

 

The reason I choose 7 post it notes is because I push myself with the timer to do all 7 tasks as quickly and accurately as I can; and by giving myself 7 to do rather than 6, I'm telling my brain this is possible in the time limit.

 

This solution works 80% of the time, and because I work on Pareto's Principle of 80/20, that's a good enough system for me.

So if you want to feel like you've achieved a few things very quickly, gain some momentum as well as a positive mood to flow through your day; I encourage you to repeat these 7 steps every single day.

Not only will you get through those annoying little tasks which have been hanging around for ages, you will also start the day with more energy because you keep crumpling up (or deleting) post it notes which means you can see the result and feel relieve rather than overwhelmed.

And here's my final thought:

Aristotle said

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore, is not an act but a habit.

So will you embrace my 7 Step Post It Note System, or keep complaining that you never get anything done?

Oh and by the way, in case it wasn't clear, you have now created a very simple system which has increased your productivity and positivity; and as you know, developing simple systems are how to solve problems in your small business.

P.S.

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