Doing Work As It Shows Up

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Anonymous

Guest
I have recurring financial reports that are dealt with every Monday. They show up in my inbox over the lunch hour and I usually process (do) them immediately when I get back from lunch, which takes about 2 hours to complete. So I am doing work as it shows up. The problem arises when I have another commitment on Monday afternoon and I can't process them right away. I end up back at my desk late on Monday afternoon and empty my inbox. Instead of processing the report, I make a note on my @office next action list to finish it. I am wondering if if this should go on my calendar instead of the next actions list because it is a 2-hour next action. Should I block time off for this or is leaving it my next actions appropriate. It does have a self-imposed due date - I need to have it completed by Friday before the next batch comes on Monday and I have twice as much to do. I am thinking that if it is on my calendar, then I can plan ahead on weeks where Monday afternoon is not going to work for doing the report. Thoughts?
 
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gmgriffiths1974

Registered
What works for me,

I have a report that needs to be processed each week by every Friday. This report is not important to me (sort of, see next sentence) but it is important to my boss. I use Covey's rule here that whatever is important to someone else, is as important to me as that person is important to me (ie. my boss is important to me so the report is too!).

I have it on my hard landscape because if I leave it on my @Office list, it tends to not get done on time. I don't block out the same time each week as I need to be flexible but at each weekly review (I do mine on Fridays) I block out the time for the following week to get the report done.

Hope this helps.

Regards

GG
 
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