Personal Development and Success Blog

Thanks for Visiting! Please click here claim your free Time Management Course. And click here to subscribe to my RSS feed.

photo credit: riccotorres

Have you ever committed to a task without knowing what the heck you’re supposed to do with it?

I did (just this morning) and it left me completely confused…

It’s funny how easily we pick up “to do” tasks and then kind of forget about it (consciously at least) while our sub conscious tries to nag us and create stress..

This morning I was talking to a friend about the new Batman movie. We were discussing Batman and how the movie could be worth a watch. Then, I’d somehow subconsiously made the decision to find out if the movie is worth watching!

(I used to LOVE batman as a kid..thinking back..I don’t even know why!)

So I got home and when I thought I’d crossed off all the things from my to-do list…there was got the feeling that I generally associate with unfinished tasks that have somehow fallen through the cracks!

After racking my brain for a while..I found out I’d unknowingly committed to a task without asking 3 very important questions about that task.

And that was creating stress and a sense of lack of achievement.

It’s funny how small things can completely ruin a great day

In any case, I’m sure you want to know what the 3 “Must Ask Questions” are before you commit to any task?

It’s quite easy actually, it’s the way we normally tackle tasks (or I should say..it’s the way we tackle tasks when we’re being highly productive or in the zone)

Here are the questions to ask:

1. What is it?

Seriously, is it a “task” or a “project”? There’s a massive difference between the two. A project can take anything from a day to a lifetime. A task on the other hand is just a little something that needs to get done.

To me, figuring out if Batman is worth watching or not was probably a mini project. Definitely not something I could do in 1 step…

I’d probably do a search online, ask a few friends before I decide to spend sometime watching the thing!

2. What do I do next?

Does anyone else freak out when they see a Massive task? Alright, figuring out if Batman is worth watching or not isn’t a huge task…but..most of the other tasks we face might be high-risk and massive..so the overwhelm factor can be huge.

So..for the batman example, my next task could have been to do a simple search on Google for some reviews or going to some trusted movie forums!

3. When does it need to get done by?

Putting a time limit on actions is an excellent way to make sure the stuff gets done with the least amount of stress possible.

For the example above, I actually was in no rush to go see the movie. In fact, after I figured out what task was giving me all the headache..I simply scheduled “figuring out if batman is worth watching” to sometime around mid August.

It’s an excellent way to reduce stress…

So..before you commit to a task, just remember

• What is it?
• What do I do next?
• When does this need to get done by?

Those three questions will increase your productivity guaranteed!

P.S. For something slightly off topic…If you’ve seen batman..let me know whether it’s worth watching!

If you'd like to keep up with all the tips on how to save time and increase productivity, sign up for my RSS feed or Follow me on Twitter.
And sign up for my free time management course if you haven't already!

Popularity: 3% [?]