Haddow Press Experiment

Work Smart — I mean SMRT.

Archived in Business, Free, Time, Managing | No Comments

I stumbled onto an interesting site that has been helping me keep organized on a day by day basis. The creators of this relatively simple system have made available a set of download-ready cards for you to print and use in your office, BUSINESS, or freelancing work-a-day world.

The tool is call the SMRT Card System (click for a link) and makes use of a simple four-goal approach to TIME management. SMRT.

S stands for SOONER IS BETTER which means, simply, this is my top priority for the day. If nothing else on the list gets done today, this is a must. It could be something as simple as a returned email or phone call — or it could be filing that report. But whatever it is, it’s a priority.

M stands for MEDIUM TERM GOALS or those things that should get going soon. I usually note something here that needs to get started, a small project that I need to kick off, a list I need to tackle, or a meeting I need to set up. Make it something too big and you’ll get discouraged.

R stands for RISKING SOMETHING and is one of my favorites. Third on the list it’s both a reward and a motivator. If I get to this point in the day I’ve virtually given myself permission to take a RISK. What does that mean? It could mean sketching out a new idea, following up on a lead that might not make 100% sense, or going out on a limb. The key is RISK — not too much, but just enough to try open new horizons.

T is for TOMORROW TODAY and is where I tend to get a kick start on things I might have otherwise put off. This item is the opposite of procrastination, and being the evil guy I am, my ‘morning self’ usually tortures my ‘evening self’ by listing something that we’d both rather put off. But it’s on the list — so it get’s done.

The advantages to this, that I can see from using it myself:

1) Anyone can tackle four objectives in one day, provided they are basic and managable.
2) Keeping score is a motivator.
3) Accomplishment, no matter how small, can be a drug for people like you and me.

The system revolves around the idea that setting out four tasks for your day is a simple, early morning activity. It means sitting, as you are drinking your coffee or munching down a slice of lightly buttered toast, and sketching out four places you need to be by the end of the day. Check it out. IT’S FREE, too.

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