Get your mind out of the gutter! I don’t mean that! I’m talking about a nonfiction book I read last week.
18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done
by Peter Bregman was the Kindle Daily Deal one day for $1.99. Finding focus and dealing with distractions are both challenges for me, so I figured what the heck?
There are some pretty good ideas in this book, some of which I’ll put to use right away, others I’ve already been doing. The 18 minutes in the title refers to spending five minutes at the beginning of the day planning what you’re going to do (I already do this), and five minutes at the end of the day going over what you did and are going to do the next day (I do this, too). The other eight minutes are a new concept to me, however. The idea is, once an hour, pause for a minute and take stock of your day. Are you being the person you want to be? Are you focusing on areas that you want to? I’m assuming he only has allowed for eight of these pauses because this book is mostly focused on business (although it does touch on personal life and relationships, too). But I found it an interesting concept.
Another concept I found interesting was that, while most time management books tend to focus on getting all the stuff on your to-do list done, this one instead tells us that we try to do too much – more than anyone can reasonably do in a day – and that we should instead choose five or so areas in our life we want to focus on, and build our to-do lists around those to the extent we can (while acknowledging that there are going to be things we simply have to do). And get rid of the rest. This is also something I’ve been trying to work on this past year, although I hadn’t thought about it this clearly. It’s why I always put off marketing and promo activities – I simply hate them, and don’t want to do it. The time I accidentally wiped out my to-do list was almost a relief, because I remembered the really important stuff, but most of the marketing stuff simply went away. And I decided I was OK with that, even if it meant I sell fewer books. Because I also decided that I’d rather have fun with my writing than let it become focused on sales, and something I dread.
ROW80 is something that can be whatever we want, and for me it’s fun! So here’s how I did this week:
- Skim/read three chapters in research book – Nope.
- 1500 words on new ms – Yes!
- 4 workouts – Yes!
I am just going to shelve the research for now, since it’s not turning out to be very interesting, it’s for a different story than the one I’m working on right now, and I want to focus on that. So I’m raising the bar on wordcount this week, but I again have things going on several evenings, so not too much:
- 2000 words on new ms
- 4 workouts
What about you? Found any tips for managing the to-do list lately? Whether or not you did, and whether or not you’re doing ROW80, how did your week go? Please share – I’d love to hear from you!
Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.
Interesting concept. I usually do five to ten minutes at the front end of the day and a glance or two at the days progression, but typically not an end of the day look. By that point in the day I’m usually not cognizant enough to make it value planning time *smile* All the same, I’ll keep the idea in mind and see where it works best.
Good week and word count. Backing off the research is good plan, better to concentrate on the current writing project and worry about other research when it becomes needed. Thanks for the tips and have a fantastic week, Jennette. 🙂
I used to do lists. Now I pick three top priority items and do those first. Although I really don’t have a checks and balances. I like the idea of reviewing. I could improve my accountability!
Gene, thanks!
Coleen, I’ve found it really helps!
Taking account of one’s actions, choices and progress in mini-form actually makes a lot of sense… The little “hourly” assessments would problem be a great way to keep on track even as schedules drift and surprises pile up.
I like your mindset on marketing, Jennette. I’m really hoping the “word of mouth” crew acts in my favor…. I need that support. ::D You too?
I love this line: “…once an hour, pause for a minute and take stock of your day. Are you being the person you want to be?” especially that last question. What a way to shift from a to-do list mentality to a “being” mentality, whether it’s self-focused, spiritual, parenting, or whatever. In fact, I think I’ll go share it on FaceBook!
Good luck on your goals this week, and kudos to you for dropping the one that didn’t mean much.
Eden, what I hate most about the marketing is that most of what I did, had little to no discernible effect! So why bother? And yeah, I’m with you on the word-of-mouth or luck!
Jennifer, glad you liked it! I don’t remember to do it every hour (or set a timer like he suggests) but it does make me think!
I used to do list, until this last year when my life went off the rails and drove into a hell hole. LOL. Nah…but seriously, my need to be organized has been really messed with lately. I’m currently working on putting all back together. This post has been very interesting. I suspect the pauses help you assess if you are making your daily goal so that adjustments can be made accordingly – either to your routine or your daily goals moving forward. Smart.
It’s been clear to me for a while that your current story engrosses you, so you’re smart to let it have its way. Get those words down!
Thank you for the highlights from 18 MINUTES: FIND YOUR FOCUS. I too start the day with a list — but that darn list just gets longer and longer. Your suggestion to recheck that list at the end of the day and do just a little planning for the next day is exactly what I needed to hear. Not so sure about that checking in throughout the day. I laughed out loud at your comment on marketing. Those to-do’s fall right off the list for me too! But what I liked best about your post is how you just simplified what you want to do right down to the writing. Write on!
Thanks for sharing this book–I need it! I’ve been dsitracted all day and only gotten one project done that I wanted to do today! Not exactly being the person I want to be;).