@Mac list keeps growing while @Call list goes down

[Kloun]

Need your support and motivational help I have at the moment 33 active next actions in my @Work context. They split between @Call, @Mac Online and @Mac Offline. My day is hectic. Usually I start at 10 in the morning when I get to the office after 1,5 hours drive. From 10 to 11 I do my predefined next actions daily. If I didn't plan that time it would be taken by my staff, investors and bosses. I try to use this time wise saying I would come back as soon as I can to the interrupter. I start doing my next actions from the top. It's my @Call list. Go down one by one. And I never ever get to my @Mac next actions The @Mac list keeps growing.

I need help in choosing wisely between all next actions on my action lists.

 

[TesTeq]

Try to start at 9:00. I start at 6:30.

Usually I start at 10 in the morning when I get to the office after 1,5 hours drive. From 10 to 11 I do my predefined next actions daily.

Try to start at 9:00 and block 9:00 - 10:00 hour for your @Mac Next Actions. I start at 6:30 in my office (after 30-minute drive).

 

[bishblaize]

I think the problems is that you're just starting at the top of the list and working down - that only works if you know you'll get all of your work done. If you dont then essentially youre letting the alphabet decide what work is most important to you. If the most important thing is at the bottom of your list then you're never getting it done.

What works for me is to just spend 10 minutes (max) in the morning scanning through available next actions, and picking out those that will have the biggest impact to do first. Thats from all my available contexts.

Even tho you do your strategic thinking once a week in the weekly review, it doesnt truly remove all need to think about things daily. You still need to remember which projects is/are the most important, and which you need to get done soonest. You do your thinking once a week, but you apply it every day.

Its also worthwhile thinking about the amount of time needed for each action. If you're windowing off an hour or so each day to dedicate to uninterrupted work then make sure you're doing next actions that will take up to an hour to do. No point doing 6 ten minute phone calls - you're far more likely to find a spare 10 minutes in the rest of the day than a spare hour.