Do the Minimum
In our hectic daily lives, we often find ourselves overwhelmed with the huge to-do lists we have every day. We have great intentions, set goals, and then try to get the work done, only to find ourselves lost in a sea of business without really getting anything done. We mark off 5 or 6 items on our list and feel accomplished, only to realize those few items really don’t push the needle in the direction we need to get things done.
I found myself doing this. Each week I would write up a 20 item to-do list, with great intentions of getting all of the work done and making a huge change in myself, my home, and my professional life. Then I found myself getting carried away with other tasks and not accomplishing the items on the list. It made me feel like a failure, and as a result constantly looking for something else to help me feel like I did something positive.
The truth is, once I made a big change, then I started getting more done. The change was, to ask myself each day, “what is the minimum I need to get done today?”, then only focus on doing that. When I got up, instead of saying I needed to clean my room, Id say, “what’s the minimum I need to do to have a clean bedroom.” The end result was, I made the bed. Simple, short, and effective. Also effective in that, once I made the bed, I noticed the dirty clothes on the floor, and said to myself, I can get those real quick too since I am already doing this. This would happen with every task, and I would end up getting more done, AND getting the right stuff done each day.
I challenge you to try it. Ask yourself when you have a task in front of you, what is the minimum I need to get done, and then only focus on doing that. You’d be surprised at what else you accomplish in your day!