I start every day with a list.  My lists are living documents with both personal and professional requirements included on them.  They are prioritized, and each task has a “due date” associated with it.  I think some of this structure is a natural result of the work that I do – providing part time CFO services to multiple small businesses – but also good discipline learned while I was still in school (and the dinosaurs walked the earth).

My lists often extend several weeks (or even months) into the future.  They help me fine tune strategy and direction, and help to eliminate “noise” allowing me to focus on what truly (absolutely) needs to be done right now.  If I find myself pushing the same items into the future several times, then I reassess whether I need to do them at all.  If they truly are critical, then I will only push them a few times before finding the time (or courage) to get them done.  Otherwise, I may remove them entirely or at least put them in my “on hold” group.

Imagine a situation where you are in your office and your team members come in periodically over the course of the day – each with an emergency that they believe needs your attention right now.  If you don’t maintain a list, you won’t know which emergency to focus your energy on, and which situations you need to provide general guidance for (while simultaneously delegating back to the individual raising the issue).  You will spend entire days, weeks and even months resolving these issues and find yourself working constantly IN your business, rather than ON your business.

Whether you choose to maintain your own list is your business, of course.  I do recommend that you find a path toward peace and intellectual clarity, though.  There is truly something to be said for the joy you experience when you finally get to start crossing things of the list – in fact, I try to give myself a couple of easy items each day, because the energy boost I get for crossing off the easy ones helps me to tackle the larger, more problematic tasks.  (4/25 – write blog – check!)