Guide to Getting the Right Things Done

GuidetoGettingtheRightWorkDoneTo-dolisTsdelegaTingMeeTingdeadlinesprioriTizingGuidetoGettingtheRightWorkDone2HowtoStayFocusedonWhat’sImportantbyGinaTrapani5TheWorth-Your-TimeTestbyPeterBregman7ManagementTime:Who’sGottheMonkey?byWilliamOncken,Jr.,andDonaldL.Wass15An18-MinutePlanforManagingYourDaybyPeterBregman18HowtoWriteTo-DoListsThatWorkbyGinaTrapani20TheArtoftheSelf-ImposedDeadlinebyStevenDeMaio22HowtoStartaProjectonTimebyStevenDeMaio24ManageYourEnergy,NotYourTimebyTonySchwartzandCatherineMcCarthy34How—andWhy—toStopMultitaskingbyPeterBregmanStrugglingtogetto—muchlesscomplete—yourmostimportantwork?Leavingyourjobmostdaysexhaustedbutwithlittletoshowforit?Overwhelmedbyback-to-backmeetingsandendlesse-mails?Plaguedbyprocrastination?Usethisguidetolearnhowtoaccomplishmoreoftherightworkmoreefficientlyby:eliminatingendless“urgent”tasks■■■■■■delegatingeffectively■■■■■■preventingprocrastination■■■■■■writingto-doliststhatwork■■■■■■renewingyourenergywithsimplerituals■■■■■■page2’sImportantDon’tbeconsumedbyendless“urgent”tasks.You’llhavenotimeleftforimportantwork.byGinaTrapaniFoundingeditorofthepersonalproductivityblog,Lifehacker.com.Findmorecontentonpersonalproductivityathbr.orghbrblognetworkBusypeoplehavetwooptionswhentheydecidehowtheirworkdayswillgo:theycanchoosetobereactivetourgentdemandsontheirtime,orproactiveaboutfocusingonwhattheydecideisimportant.Theonlywaytoactuallygetthingsdoneistomitigatetheurgenttoworkontheimportant.Let’sdifferentiatebetweenwhatIcallurgentandwhatIcallimportant.Urgenttasksincludethingslike:Thatfrantice-mailthatneedsaresponseRIGHTNOW■■■Asuddenrequestthatseemslikeit’llonlytaketwominutesbutoftenendsuptaking■■■anhourAreportyou’vegottowriteupbeforeameeting■■■Moreoftenthannot“urgent”is:Puttingoutfires■■■Busywork■■■Tasksthatyou’dratherdofirstbecausethey’relessintimidatingthanyourcurrent■■■projectlistUsuallyshort-term■■■We’redrawntourgenttasksbecausetheykeepusbusyandmakeusfeelneeded.(Ifwe’rebusypeople,wemustbeimportantpeople.)HarvardBusinessReviewGuidetoGettingtheRightWorkDonepage3HowtoStayFocusedonWhat’sImportantWhatpeoplearesayingonHBR.org“Istartedoffwiththethreeimportanttasksdaily,butInowwritedownone,whichcontributestoakeygoal,andalmostalwaysachieveit.”—postedbyCheryl“Maybedecide,withyourteam,thatonehouraday(9amto10am?1pmto2pm?)isinterruptionandmeeting-freeunlesssomeoneisdying.”—postedbyGinaTrapani“Ialsohavea“donotdisturbunlessitcan’twaitanhour”blockeverymorning,whichhastakenawhileformyteamtogetusedtobutmakesahugedifferenceinhowmuchoftheimportantIcanachieve.”—postedbyCheryl“IfIhaveadeadlineforanarticle,IcreateagreenDeadlineboxatthetopofthedayusinganAll-Day-Eventappointment.Andatthebeginningofeveryweek,Ilookatmytasklistand,fortasksrequiringfocusthathaveloomingdeadlines,IdragthemintothecalendarandcreateaWorkBlock(blue)appointment.”—postedbyJanet“InThe7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeople,StevenCoveydividesmattersintofourquadrants,labeled‘UrgentbutNotImportant,’‘ImportantbutNotUrgent,’‘UrgentandImportant,’and‘NotImportantandNotUrgent.’”—postedbyTimButdealingwithaconstantstreamofurgenttasksleavesyouwrungoutattheendoftheday,wonderingwhereallthetimewent,staringattheactualworkyou’vegottocomplete.Ontheflipside,importantwork:Movesyouandyourbusinesstoward■■■yourgoalsDoesn’tgiveusthatsameshotof■■■adrenalinethattheurgentrequestsdoCaninvolvethinkingoutlong-term■■■goals,beinghonestaboutwhereyouareandwhereyouwanttobeCanbeplainhardworkthatfeelsboring■■■andtediousOnapersonallevel,importantworkmayincludemakingtimetogettothegymeveryday.Onabusinesslevel,importantworkmaybedevisingyouryearlyplan,breakingitdownintoquarterlyandmonthlydeliverables,andevaluatingyourcurrentperformanceagainstlastyear’splan.(Doesn’tthemerethoughtofgoingtothegymanddecidingonthisyear’sgoalsmakeyouwanttocheckyoure-mail?Still,that’stheworkthatwillhelpyoumeetyourgoals.)Ifyourworkplaceencouragesthatfranticvibeofheadless-chickenrunningandconstanturgency,itcanfeelimpossibletofocusonwhat’simportantversuswhat’surgent.Still,anawarenessofthedifferenceandafewsimpletechniquescanhelp.Choosethreeimportanttaskstocompleteeachday.Writethemdownonaslipofpaper,andkeepitvisibleonyourdesk.Whenyouhaveamoment,insteadofcheckingyoure-mail,lookattheslipofpaperandworkonanitem.Keepthelisttojustthreetasks,andseehowmanyyoucancomplete.Turnoffyoure-mail.ShutdownOutlook,turnoffnewe-mailnotificationsonyourBlackBerry,anddowhateverelseyouhavetodotomuffletheinterruptionofe-mail.Whenyoudecidetoworkononeofyourimportanttasks,giveyourselfatleastanhouratleastofuninterruptedtimetocompleteit.IftheWebistoomuchofatemptation,disconnectyourcomputerfromtheInternetforthathour.Setupaweekly20-minutemeetingwithyourself.Putitonyourcalendar,anddon’tbookoverit—treatitwiththesamerespectyou’dtreatameetingwithyourboss.Ifyoudon’thaveanofficedoororyouworkinanopenareathat’sconstantlybusy,bookaJointhediscussionatblogs.hbr.orgpage4’sImportantconferenceroomforyourmeeting.Gotheretobealone.Bringyourprojectlist,to-dolist,andcalendar,andspendthetimereviewi