Putting first things first is a habit about planning, organizing and executing your activities around your most important priorities. If you put first things first you have decided what those first things are (hello personal leadership!) and execute them when you when you planned them (hello personal management). The third habit builds on the 2 previous habits.
- Habit 1 be proactive: says you’re the programmer. You’re responsible for making things happen.
- Habit 2 keep the end in mind: says write the program. What do you want the end result to be?
- Habit 3 Put first things first: says execute the program. You know you are responsible (Habit1), you know what the end result should be.(Habit2) Now put your activities in the right order and execute them.
Now there are a vast amount of time management tips and tricks out there. I’ll just write down what has been working for me over the last months.
- I use Sunday to kind of plan for the week ahead.
- I list what I want to eat for the rest of the week. Also what my kids need to eat. So I know what to cook. (or if I need to get take-out)
- I identify my key roles for the week (this is a good time to go and look at your mission statement). An example for me
- Individual – blogger
- Individual – coding
- Parent
- Daughter
- I identify my goals for those roles. Examples
- Write and publish two posts
- Build 2 forms for client A
- Bring daughter to a daughter-mother event
- Call mom , bring a surprise
- The scheduling is the tricky part. But If you stay consistent in planning ahead. I promise you, that life will seem less cluttered. And rice will taste better J
- Take a pen and paper and draw columns for Monday through Sunday.
- Also make a column for the times your awake
- Schedule in the things you HAVE to do. For instance. Bathing , cooking , bringing the kids to school etc. Commute time
- There will be open spaces for your goals. Schedule them in those area’s
- If there are no open spaces for your goals. I recommend that you look at habit 2 and think about your personal mission statement. Are you doing everything you want and need to do?
- Execute and daily review
- When you wake up. Look at your schedule and try to keep your promise to yourself to do the things you need to do
- Sometimes things will come up you can’t ignore. Reschedule but keep your priorities your priorities. Learn to say no if needed.
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