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Tasks, action items and
to-do lists comprise the vast majority of our daily prioritization,
and thus, how we spend our time. Sadly, most of those tasks, action
items and to-do lists are given to us by someone else based their
priorities. Until you’re retired or independently wealthy, it’s
essential that you focus a portion of your energy on your own tasks,
action items and to-do lists.
Daily tasks are the little
stepping stones to almost everything we will accomplish and
experience in life. Never thought of that, did you? Well, it’s time
to think about it now. It’s generally not the big, sweeping
decisions that drive our lives but rather the daily tasks and time
well-spent or squandered that determines where we are at the end of
each day. Add all those days together and you get years, and
eventually, a lifetime. It, therefore, becomes essential to
consciously plan for some of those tasks to be based on your
priorities. Tasks fall into four categories:
Task
Type #1: Life’s Maintenance Tasks
These tasks are an
essential part of life, and you already manage them day-in and
day-out. They encompass things like mowing the lawn, going out with
friends, or paying the bills. They’re planned, sometimes well in
advance and sometimes on short notice, but you decide when and how
to get them done pretty much on your own. They will never stop
coming, so get good at them and enjoy checking them off.
Task Type #2: Delegated Tasks
You may
receive a lot of these tasks from your boss or spouse. It’s just a
part of life for most of us, so things like time management and
organization skills become very important, or you could easily spend
all your time pursuing someone else’s agenda and ignoring your own.
Learn when to say, “No” and avoid over-committing.
Task Type #3: Unexpected Tasks
Tasks like
filling up the gas tank, picking up your sick child up from school,
or stopping at the store on the way home occur so frequently that
it’s a wonder they’re still “unexpected.” They are generally
unpredictable and need immediate attention or else something
undesirable could happen. Therefore, they tend to bump other tasks
off the daily priority list.
With all those tasks listed
above coming at you every day, it’s little wonder you have no time
or energy left for the most important type of tasks…
Task Type #4: Meaningful Tasks
Meaningful
tasks are those that are part of a bigger plan that you’ve designed.
Your goals and plans are comprised of meaningful tasks — the
stepping stones to your goals that make life fulfilling for you. If
you haven’t been managing your goals, then the meaningful tasks that
would get you there are missing for your daily routine. In order to
accomplish your goals in life, you have to have a plan and make time
for the meaningful tasks that are required to achieve your goals.
Tools for Managing Goals and Meaningful TasksmyGoals.com
(this Web site) was designed to help you set, manage, and achieve
the goals that are important to you. myGoals.com's pre-made
GoalPlans®, goal-setting wizard, and email reminders are
extremely effective in creating viable action plans and keeping you
on track. GoalPlans are designed to enable you to break your goals
down into small, manageable tasks that you perform based on a
schedule that works for you. This way your meaningful tasks become a
part of your regular routine rather than being push aside by
everything else going on in your life.
To learn more or sign up for a free trial, visit our
goal-setting homepage.
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