You have something that needs to get done today.
It is really important.
Yet, you will probably not get to it today. Or even tomorrow.
Why do those important tasks seem to slip by?
What will it take to absolutely positively get it done today?
What Must Get Done?
You have something that you must get done.
It has been on your mind most of the day.
You may have lost sleep thinking about it.
However, you haven’t been able to get to it for days.
“We think about our most important tasks all the time.
Yet, these are the same tasks that seem to slip by… day after day.”
Today, make sure that you do whatever it takes to finish that one important task.
You will free up your mind and reduce your stress at the same time.
Do It… No Matter What Happens
You go into your day with the best intentions of getting to your most important task.
Then life happens.
Unforeseen happenings and last-minute emergencies derail even the best laid plans.
So, how do you keep life’s interruptions from keeping you from what you need to do?
Here are a few tips for when you absolutely positively have to get something done:
- Do It Early – Do your important task early in the day. Getting it out of the way avoids other events from keeping you from it. Do it before the chaos of your day can push it aside.
- Do It Now – No, really, do it right now. Drop what you are doing and go do your most important task before you do anything else. That will get it done. Right now.
- Put It Above Other Things – Often, we know what our most important task is, yet we let other things have a higher priority. It is easy to let yourself do other less important work first. Make sure you put your important task above lower priority todos.
- Make a Meeting With It – When you can’t get time to do your important task, make time for it. Schedule a meeting with your most important task. Don’t be shy about telling others that you have a meeting with your work.
- Call in for Help – Sometimes you need to get some help. Don’t let stubbornness or pride keep you from asking for help when you need it. Maybe you need an extra set of hands to get the work done, or just some advice.
- Cross it Off – When you have completed your important task, mark sure you put a big check mark next to it. Marking this one task done will give you motivation and momentum throughout the rest of your day.
Absolutely Positively Done!
Don’t finish your day without finishing your most important task.
Do whatever it takes, even if it means dropping something else.
Absolutely, positively crush that one task today. No matter what.
Question: What is the important task that you must absolutely positively do today?
Craig this is perfect advice for me today. I am absolutely positively going to finish the sponsorship package today for a client. No ifs, ands, or buts.
I think this is a great article! For me, rather than a to-do list I call it a “today” list and only keep it to 3 items or less, but that makes sense to just focus on the one when it’s very important.
Great minds think alike! I just wrote a post on this topic today. I recommended trying to put only 1 thing (whatever your most important priority is) on your To Do list.
Get your priorities straight!
http://www.betterstrongerfaster.com/priorities/
Your last sentence is a great quote. It communicates this concept perfectly.
“Absolutely, positively crush that one task today. No matter what.”
It also communicates the mindset that is helpful in getting it done, because your most important task is often something that makes you uncomfortable.
I like that ‘Make a meeting of it’ idea. For me, this would make it impossible to forget because I’m a slave to the clock. Moreover, often times I remember what I want to get done when I’m in the middle of something else. Making a meeting gives me the opportunity to finish what I’m doing at the present moment. I will definitely be using this one.
The most important things that I am going to do today, are usually planned the day before. This usually means that i am going to follow through with the energy rituals (morning ritual) and the most important task of the day. In my case that is writing. Which comes immediately after the energy expanding ritual (brisk walk in the morning, when I wake up). When I do those two things, I feel as if I did everything that is important, and the rest of the day is a breeze.
Great Read! Reminds me of my favorite quote by late adventurer Trevor Petersen: There comes a time when one must risk something, or sit forever with on’s dreams.