Organizing Your Day with a Different Perspective by Annette Bourget

How do you organize your day? There always seem to be so many things on the to-do list that many of us get bogged down and become paralyzed into inaction. If this sounds like you, then organizing your daily activities will help.

Begin by looking at your list through different eyes. All that "do, do, do" can begin to look like doo doo (if you know what I mean). One way to shift your attitude about your daily tasks is to rename your list. When I started calling my to-do list my "inspired action" list, I immediately felt better about it. This gave me a different perspective about my daily actions. There are many names you can use; "business-building list", "get-it-done list" and "steps on the path to success" are just a few ideas. Try renaming your list and notice if you look at your day from a different perspective.

Having a daily list makes business sense, as it gives structure to your day and helps you to organize your time. If you make a list and realize that there is way too much to accomplish in one day, review it and see what can be put on tomorrow's list, or even put off until next week. This is not to advocate procrastination, but simply to be realistic about what you can accomplish in one working day.

Every morning, review your list and choose the two most important items. What two tasks are critical to bringing in revenue or absolutely must be done today? Flag those two and if at all possible, complete them before moving on to the rest of your list. Some people like to do the easy items first for the satisfaction of crossing them off the list, but an even deeper satisfaction comes from getting the key things accomplished. Imagine how you feel when you've completed the vital tasks for the day; everything else you do that day will feel like a bonus.

At the end of each business day, review your list. Cross off everything that is complete and re-schedule everything that is not. Not all unfinished tasks will need to be put on tomorrow's list; some can be rescheduled for a future date. Once you have rescheduled the remaining items, cross them off of your daily list. When you view your "inspired action" list with everything crossed off, you can end the day with a feeling of completion.

The last step is to look at your calendar and schedule the actions for tomorrow. Rather than just figuring you will fit these tasks in between your appointments and networking events, designate when you will do the tasks. You will be more productive when you actually make appointments with yourself to make calls, answer emails, work on your website or write your marketing copy. Remember, tomorrow is a new day with new challenges and new opportunities, and an organized perspective will prepare you for both.

Annette Bourget is a small business development coach and public speaker. She helps consultants and salespeople get more clients, make more money and reclaim their personal lives.  Email her at annette@callingforth.com for more information, or click here to subscribe to her monthly newsletter.