Quantify It.

Ok seriously, this weather is amazing. The sunshine has certainly instilled some pep in my step, so to speak.

Another productive Sunday is well underway. I'm very smily about the whole thing. Sarp, my flatmate, chastised me about being lazy last night, and not going out. It's nice to know my night in evening last wasn't for nothing then. Furthermore, this morning I've realized that he's equally lazy, if not more. As noon slowly encroaches, he has yet to emerge from his bed. To be lazy then, is in the eye of the beholder? By taking it easy last night I'm now leagues ahead of him, as far as "slothing about" goes.

Not that this is some kind of competition.

But that's not what I want to blog about this morning. As I've systematically optimized the exploitation and use of my time in the last few hours, and the weeks leading up such said hours, I've realized my methods have changed slightly. Things are going relatively well right now. So I want to take note of what I'm doing.

I'm an avid agenda user. Those learning skills they teach in grade 6 have provided me with huge ROI, as it turns out. My planner use varies depending on how I'm feeling. It's consistent, always, but sometimes I put dumb things on lists (like cutting my nails, - seriously, I'm a freak) to make me feel more productive. I just love crossing things off lists. I'm sure there's a surge of dopamine associated with the action that drives this neurotic behaviour of mine. At other times I use numbered lists and every now and then I encircle things with highlighters.

So given my regular fluctuation in agenda use patterns, it's realistic to think that I would stumble upon things that work and those that don't. The difficulty seems to be in realizing the effect of my varying habits - can habits vary? Sounds like an oxymoron - and realizing what to keep and what to take out with the trash.

As of late, I've been very specific with my daily to-do lists. I realized that I was failing to get anything done. I kept delaying things to tomorrow. I just wasn't getting shit done. I looked at all of the items I was putting off: They were lofty, ill-defined tasks.

So I did the exact opposite. I changed things from "read" to "read one chapter of book x." Instead of doing research I would get "25 names and numbers of decision makers." I quantified my daily goals. The prompt realization struck me, that I was finally getting things done again. I struck items off my list with ruthless efficiency.

And the benefits multiplied. Not only was I getting more things done, I was better able to structure my time, as I had a very good idea how much time any one of the well-defined task would take. I also noticed that the work I was producing was of higher quality.

Other things I do regularly that seem to work include numbering my giant lists and allocating times.

If you have your own ways, I'd love to hear them. Seriously.

AFTERTHOUGHT:

On a completely unrelated topic, I'm bouncing around a hypothesis in my brain. I don't think it's ripe yet to take fruition from but it involves starting another blog. I think I would be able to muse successfully about starting a business. Specifically the multitude of trials and tribulations that have come along, all in a tongue and cheek manner of course. The biggest reason I want to do it is because I don't think that this is the appropriate forum, yet I have so much to say on the topic. I'll repurpose this little internet space to focus more on my day to day adventures, as well as general personal development. More to come on the subject...