At the beginning of the year, I set some goals. I wouldn't really call them resolutions. More of a personal reset.
The past year, perhaps longer, has been quite busy. This is not a complaint. Just a matter of fact. At times, I found myself floundering. Difficult to focus on the task at hand. Not quite sure if I was working on tasks that were important. I took some time at the end of 2024 and in to early 2025 to reflect and understand the root of this conflict.
I call it a conflict because that's how it felt. I was really busy but I didn't feel like I was moving forward, like I was accomplishing the things I really wanted to get done. I had ventured off the path I was wanting to create for myself.
I always felt like an organized person. I wrote down my to-do's. I tracked my client activities. Planned the things I wanted to get done. During this time of reflection, I came to realize that all this task management and tracking was in fact the thing that was getting in my way.
I had too many lists. I lacked clarity.
As the first month of 2025 comes to a conclusion (finally!), here is what I have learned.
- Working on consistent daily habits is a habit in itself that has to be learned. Some days I'm consistent, others I am not. I try and close my work day (my client work day) with a reset on what I accomplished that day, what needs to be done next and ensuring the my priorities for the next day are clear.
- When going through this exercise, I attempt to be concise in what needs to be done next. Just as important is knowing where I left off on a specific task. The velocity at which I can pick up where I left off is directly related to how detailed I've been the day before.
- I used to be fairly general in how I defined my tasks. The problem I found was that on many occasions, what I had wrote down made no sense to me. I had to go backward at the start of my day to figure out what I had meant. Now, I probably take too many notes, but I'm no longer lost. I've also created many more things on my list. The specificity brings clarity to what's important.
- I try and time block my day. On any given day, I will likely work on at least two distinct client projects - likely more. My day ends by setting aside blocks of time to focus on a specific project. Not only does this bring focus to the specific time period, but it also allows me natural breaks in my workday.
- Lastly, all of this sounds great but must be executed to be successful. In all honesty, the success rate for this practice is likely around 60%. Better than 50%, not as good as 70%.
Bringing clarity to my priorities has brought greater focus and more fulfillment. I'm happier.
Keep asking: "Is what you're doing (or not doing) today helping what you want to achieve tomorrow?"