Humans pretty much suck at planning and executing at the same time. If we try to, the enormous mental drag and distractions wears us out fast. That’s why I’ve always advocated for separating the planning and acting phases of the day as much as possible.
Easier said than done? The biggest hurdle here (for me at least) is fear – the fear that goes something like: “Are you sure this is really the thing you ought to be doing right now?” When there are at least 100 things you could be doing, it’s a valid worry.
That’s one reason I’m so happy with this month’s 12-habit challenge. Having a systematic review of all of my inputs every day means that every day I wake up with the schedule in front of me that I know is right.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still busy as all get-out, but at least I’m busy doing the right things. I only wish I had implemented this challenge about 15 years ago.
So if you find yourself constantly second guessing like I often did, try reworking your task management system – you’ll be glad you did.
Want to learn more about how I manage my tasks? Check out my task management system, and don’t miss my recent post on workflow as well.