Have you ever gone through your day and wondered, “What did I accomplish today?” If that’s you, don’t worry, the vast majority of individuals have the same feeling. They do so many things, and yet, stuff doesn’t get done. They’re constantly busy, but nothing happens on their mental priority list.
Does that sound like you?
In today’s episode, we’re talking about being free to focus on the things that matter most. I was talking with our pastor the other day, and our crucial point of conversation was about to-do lists. Writing the things that are important on a piece of paper, and even the non-important. By having a simple list on your desk, phone, tablet, or even a simple post-it note, you will cross those items off the moment you’re done. This is especially true with writing.
Here are a few reasons why is this important?
1. It’s about redefining your work, so it works for you.
One of my favorite books is called “Free to Focus” by Michael Hyatt. This book has helped me learn how to slay distractions, reduce my task list, and free myself from interruptions, so that I can truly focus on the items that truly need to get done, instead of relying on the appearance of busyness.
When I started learning this concept of writing onto a task list the things I truly needed to get done, I found my focus increasing. I could block out portions of my day to knock out the little items, so I can more easily focus on the larger projects, or looming deadlines.
It’s about allowing work to work for you, instead of being a slave to the almighty task list. It’s about taking control, instead of your work controlling you.
2. It’s about cutting out the nonessentials.
There are four major zones we operate within. These zones are aligned with passion and proficiency. The greater our passion and greater our proficiency, we’ll find it easier to align our tasks into our desire Zone. See the illustration below from Michael’s book.
Let’s break these down from least to first:
- The Drudgery Zone: This zone is made up of tasks and items to which we have no passion and no proficiency. You’re not good at these tasks. They’re not inside your wheelhouse, and in fact, doing them is a chore and you really hate having to don these. For me, it’s anything that makes me feel as if I’m wasting time. They take longer to accomplish, and in this area, I don’t excel. The items I consider drudgery for me, might be someone else’s passion. There are a ton of people who love to do what you hate. These are what keep us from writing.
- The Disinterest Zone: These items are things your proficient at, but not necessarily passionate about. These are tasks you can do, maybe even better than anyone else you know at work. It’s something that you can do with little effort, but it’s small potatoes and you really don’t have the time for these mundane tasks that fill up your list. In fact, as Michael says in his book, “You often are naturally inclined to avoid the drudgery zone items, but get stuck in the rut of doing the disinterest zone activities, simply because you’re good at them.” Then you wonder at the end of the day, why can’t I write anything good?
- The Distraction Zone: This is an area that makes people feel tolerable in doing activities that fall in this area. There’s a a lot of passion and a little proficiency. These activities are not draining your energy and you probably enjoy doing these activities, however they become time-wasters. I am passionate about marketing, but not very proficient. I tend to become easily distracted by all the bells and whistles of book marketing, instead of what I do best, connecting with people on a real level.Often times, lack of proficiency is masked by the passion we have. That means we’re probably wasting a lot of time doing subpar work on something we enjoy.
- The Desire Zone: This is where passion and proficiency intersect. This is when you’ll discover your unique gifts, talents and abilities are contributing significantly to your business, family and more. For me, my passion and proficiencies are in writing, connecting with people, vision casting, helping others discover the God-given gifts and abilities. This is my zone of genius,
3. Cut out the distractions and interruptions.
It’s easy to think that you have to be available at all times while your working. The problem, every time the bell rings on your phone or email, you pick it up. You live in the FOMO of life (the fear of missing out). I have to pick up that text, phone call, and more. But, I’m here to tell you, if you’re sitting down to write your next chapter, you can’t take time to answer that phone call or email until your task is complete.
This will help you in more ways that you know. I usually check my email 2-3 times per day. Morning, Noon, and before I leave the office. When I’m working on a big project, I turn off all distractions. I’ll even put my phone on “do not disturb.” This helps me remain focused on the task at hand. If you’re in a busy office, close your door, or put on headphones. This will be a signal to your co-workers that you’re busy and cannot be bothered.
Do this one thing, and you’ll find yourself more productive than you thought possible.
4. Make a list and stick to it.
This is where people get off track. Before I begin each day, I look at everything on my list, my goals, and priorities, and I find 3 big things that must accomplish today. These are my focus items. If I get nothing else done, I must do these. If I were to show you my list for today, You’ll find 3 key items, plus another 10 items. I have completed all three big things as of this writing. This post, is #3 for the day.
Did I accomplish my full list? No. But that’s the beauty of making a top 3 list. If I don’t get the other items done, I know I was more productive. Now, think of your writing. If it’s on your top 3 for the day, you know you cannot go to bed until I cross the task off. The more you don’t focus on something big for the day, you’ll find how easy it is to become distracted by not doing that key activity.
One thing you can try; take a moment and writing everything you did. Now, write what you wanted to accomplish on a piece of paper. This will give you a great vantage point of where you spent your time today. As you accomplish something that doesn’t pertain to your main 3 items, write them down. This exercise will teach you where you’re losing focus and what you need to do next time.
Take your writing to the next level
Jason (J.B.) Sisam. Best-selling Amazon author of the Christian Early Reader book, 
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