Focus on the most important things

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Making Time for the MIT’s (Most Important Things)
Over the past 14 years, I have studied productivity, the learning process, and time management. Just six years ago, I returned to university to earn a degree in psychology in order to better understand how fundamental shifts in thinking can be applied in practice. To this day, I remain fascinated by the methods people use to stay productive. Personally, how do you measure your own productivity? For many people, it involves some form of self-assessment at the end of the day – reflecting on what they have done (or failed to do) and how they feel about it. How do you determine whether it was a good or bad day? Have you ever finished a day only to realize that you didn’t get around to some of the most important tasks on your list? You kept intending to take care of them, but simply didn’t have enough time! I can only share what I’ve heard over the years: people say they create a “mental priority list,” send themselves emails at work, or even leave voice messages for themselves as reminders of the MITs for the day. Some write down their tasks by hand, ask colleagues for help to stay on track, while others reserve a conference room in the office just for themselves! It seems that everyone has their own way of minimizing distractions and focusing on what they know they need to accomplish. Here’s an exercise I use to ensure that I pay appropriate and timely attention to what I consider to be the MITs – the Most Important Things. Start by thinking of 3 things you need to focus on during the next 12 hours. Write these down as objectives and/or goals on a sticky note or index card. Place that note in a place where you’ll see it throughout the day, and review it from time to time. At the end of the day, ask yourself, “Did I do what I said I would do? Did I focus on what I said I would focus on?” Finally, discard or recycle the index card. Repeat this exercise the next morning. I recommend doing this for five business days. Who knows? By the end of those five days, you might have made progress in 15 important areas of your work and personal life! Hint: the key isn’t necessarily the sticky note or index card itself. The real importance lies in deciding what’s important before you start your day, and then consistently directing your attention back to those tasks. Instead of focusing on having the “right” time management tool or the “perfect” system, focus on the process. This approach serves as a reminder to help you reorient your limited attention throughout the day. Remember, it’s easy to check your email after a meeting, but it might be more time-efficient to take a moment to review your list of three priorities and set a timer for 17 minutes. By regularly focusing on one of your MITs, you’ll end the day feeling productive and knowing that you’ve made significant progress toward your goals.