Schedule your important tasks (or they won’t happen)
Time is our most precious resource.
“Finding time” to do specific things is often our most difficult task.
Regardless of how important a task is to us, it often feels like a chore to carve out the time and make it happen.
Unless you schedule time for something– it likely won’t happen.
Life gets busy. But it’s your responsibility to make time for what’s important to you.
Here are a few ideas to help.
The Importance of Planning (While Remaining Flexible)
Today marks day 8 in a row of writing every day. But I almost skipped it.
I slept in this morning after spending last night at a wedding. Then I was tired all day. Then I was busy with various tasks most of the afternoon. Then I just felt lazy when I did have any free time.
And before I knew it, I had completely forgotten about writing for the day.
Although I feel very strongly about maintaining this writing streak, it felt too easy to just skip it and get back on track tomorrow.
(But I didn’t allow that to happen!)
Even when you enjoy doing a task, sometimes you simply run out of time to do it each day.
The point is this: If you don’t make the time for it, it isn’t going to happen.
Now here’s the deal: Skipping one day of writing isn’t going to ruin everything. Skipping one work out isn’t going to make you unhealthy.
Becoming overly obsessed with these specific details isn’t always the answer.
But there’s power in maintaining a streak and sticking to the things that matter most to you. And that’s what I want to highlight the importance of in this letter.
For example: Writing 1,000 words per day is a great goal to have. Or maybe your goal is to exercise on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Instead of putting unnecessary pressure on yourself – the writer can aim to write 7,000 words per week. Or choose to work out 3 days per week, allowing yourself to flex to other days when needed.
If one day doesn’t go according to plan (or lack thereof), add it to the schedule for tomorrow.
Minimum Viable Action
Another way to think about maintaining your important habits is to define a minimum viable action.
In business, a “minimum viable product” is something that a business or startup can produce that meets the minimum requirements of a product in order to get their business off the ground.
Think of it as the simplest approach to an offer without wasting time perfecting the product before launching into the market.
Creating a “minimum viable action,” on the other hand, is a great approach for daily habits.
Depending on what actions matter most to you, think to yourself:
- “What is the simplest version of this thing that I can do in order to check the box for today?”
For a daily writing habit, this might be to journal one page in a notebook. It’s quick, easy, yet still allows for practicing your craft.
For an exercise habit, do a 10-minute at-home work out. It may not be exactly what you had planned, but when life gets busy – sometimes you must adapt.
Following through with your minimum viable action allows you to maintain your habit, dignity, and daily streak without the commitment of your full time or attention.
Sometimes you must focus on “done” instead of “perfect.”
And yet, often times, you’ll find that starting was the hardest part, and you’ll end up doing more than you originally planned anyway. That’s the win-win of just taking the first step of any journey.
Because sometimes your “10-minute, 250-word” minimum viable writing session turns into an entire 30-minute, ~600+ word newsletter that you were hoping to publish during a busy weekend.
Takeaways For You
Here’s how to maintain your most important habits:
1) If you can, make a plan.
Add it to the schedule, put it in the calendar, and block out time to get it done before your day gets busy.
2) Create (and do) the minimum viable action.
After you decide what tasks and habits are most important to you, create the simplest version of that action and do it whenever you aren’t able to commit to the full thing.
Managing your time can often feel like a lost cause in the chaos of daily life. But I’d encourage you to plan your important tasks first, and then focus on the urgent tasks second.
You future self will be glad you did.
–Eric Pfohl