When I was younger I read this book called, “getting things done.” It was a system for doing exactly that. I was so excited to start the program, I setup this system the book recommended for handling everything that comes in and making a decision on the incoming tasks and putting it into various folders. The system lasted 4 days! It was sufficiently complicated to cause me to completely lose interest and all that reading and preparation was lost in just 4 days.
However, there is a principle which I will take from all that preparation and it applies to the 365 commitment. When you have decided what list you are going to work on in the morning, and you have prayed for guidance your list is now pretty important. You have decided, in consultation with a higher power, that this list (if accomplished) will constitute a great use of the precious time that you have been blessed with today. With that attitude – new requests that come at you during the day are filtered with a whole new perspective. It is what the “getting things done” book was missing. I am basically asking myself when something new gets thrown at me – is this new task going to help me accomplish my list today? Is this new task more important then what I have on my list today? If it is not – then that task is a distraction and I ACT. I act by either saying, “No” (remember the power of the positive no?) or I simply schedule that task for later using whatever method I use to track my calendar.
Suddenly, after Day 21, I am starting to see benefits from this perspective. I am no longer allowing myself to get distracted by what other people want me to do. If a person asks me to do something in alignment with my task list – then it is not a distraction – it is an awesome boon to help me get my list done. If someone asks me to do something more important then my list – then I view it as divine guidance to restructure my day to meet my primary goals. Most of the time the new task is a distraction and I now have a tool to avoid them and focus on what is important to me and to those I have committed to serve.
Having faith that the list that you start out each day with is what you are supposed to be doing is really powerful. Keep the commitment!
Guy Reams (21)
365 Member
