Some of the folks I admire most get a LOT of stuff done. They have eclectic interests, curious minds, and superb skills in task completion.
I’ve noticed some commonalities in these Gitter-Doner types:
- They know the time of day when their brain works best, and they do the most cognitively challenging work at those times.
- They tackle the “worst first” during a normal day.
- They organize their files/documents/emails/stuff so that they can lay their hands/brains on it immediately (without having to go on a time-sucking scavenger hunt).
- They have a network of trusted “experts” whom they tap for advice and counsel on tricky decisions.
- They remove distractions when doing work that requires intense focus.
- They put tasks/meetings/deadlines on a calendar (usually just ONE calendar) and monitor that calendar daily.
- They communicate with their team frequently.
- They create “first drafts” of important work weeks or months in advance, to allow percolation time for improvement modifications and ongoing cognigitation.
- They have fun with their work and at their work.
Gotta run. Stuff to get done today.
*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.
Nelson Coulter
Nelson Coulter has held a lot of titles: rancher, educator, author, musician, entrepreneur, coach, mentor, consultant, and professor. He has coached, taught, and been published in many settings. He has served in public schools of all shapes, sizes, and contexts. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at Louisiana State University - Shreveport. His most cherished titles, however, are the ones not attached to career identity: son, husband, dad, and granddad.
