Getting more done

I remember as a kid seeing my Aunt Cy writing on a small notepad. It was strange to me, at the time, because it has a line done the middle, rather than on the left and, had a spiral at the top and was maybe 3/4 of a regular notepad. She sat at her dining room table, working on it, making entries in pen and highlighting other entries. As I got closer, I could see they were chores and stuff to get. Wash dishes. Bathe Dog. Get Batteries. I asked her what kind of notebook that was and what was she doing. She explained it was a Steno notepad, which she liked because of the line down the middle. It let her write all the things she wanted to get done on the left and then as stuff got added, she could add it to the right. In either case, she highlighted it when it was done. She like highlighting all the stuff she had gotten done, because it made her feel good, I remember thinking it was kind of neat, but not something I needed. I was a kid, and not a very organized one.

That thought has changed for me over the years. For me it started with a study of polymaths, these incredible people who seemed to do everything. I studied their tools and methods. I toyed with the idea of how you would become one today. The things you would need to do, work on, what a modern day Leonardo's workshop would be like. They were, one and all, prolific note takers, documenting everything they saw, every thought. In those note, they included step to projects, things they needed to do, plans for the coming day and records of tasks completed. They had versions of Aunt Cy's steno pad. I added a to do list to my normal routine.

I didn't know it, but I had started a bit of an obsession. Productivity, squeezing the day, doing more. So, my note pads of todos became a database, designed to balance tasks, create optimization between physical and mental, spiritual and emotional tasks. It was better, but I could still see myself being prone to distraction. It wasn't enough to have a todo list, or even a single item to do right now, I needed a commitment, a way to track where my focus is right now. Again, I looked back in history to those who were "super productive" and decided to log. Track my time. When it was time to walk, I would note the time and write walk. It became like journaling what you eat. Started thinking I would be able to evaluate my time and improve it, but the observation alone changed what I did. That note in front of me, kept me focused. To do items became journal entries, got checked off and the next to do item would become my focus. When it worked, it was an engine.

It too, though, had problems. Certain items, important items, I would leave out of the to do list, keep them from the engine because, even though I needed to do them, I didn't want to. When I became a deacon, it was making deacon calls, as I recognized the need to be in better shape, it was exercise. I wanted to do it all, but if I was busy enough I could be successful and dodge these things. After all, I had a beautiful log which showed all the great things I was getting done. The problem was, these things were not always the most important things. They were not always the things that best aligned with my core values.

This brought about the third leg of my system to getting things done. Accountability. See, wether you are taking about Jefferson or DaVinci they had mentors and mentored, they worked in groups which they could bounce ideas off of and help keep them on track. They had relationships in a way which I think is largely lost today. It was certainly not part of my life. Other events, which I have written about before lead up to this, but it fell in place perfectly.

Today, I have several accountability partners which keep me on track with exercise and diet, praying with my wife being thoughtful to those around me. These are Godly men, who I hold accountable and they hold me accountable, so we don't avoid the things we really need to do.

So, I'm still obsessed with getting things done, but it is more in refinement than in creating any kind of new system. I have friends who provoke me to do better. I have a to do list, which helps me keep up on home, church and work responsibilities. I log my days to better control my time and focus. I don't know if it is the right way, but it is the way that works for me.