Funnel that list and zero-based calendaring

I love a list - well actually several lists  - all in one place where I can easily access them. Paper, electronic - anything that works for you - is fine.

Laura Mae Martin in her book Uptime, talks about the list funnel. Start at the widest part of the funnel - the big ticket items you want to achieve. These can be personal and professional. And you may not know how you're going to achieve them - yet. But there's huge power in writing things down. Then come down to the main list of things you need to do in the coming month, then a list for the week and then each day.

I'd add David Allen's (2015, Getting Things Done) ideas here and break down your lists into categories based on brain power needed. One long list of daily tasks may not be that helpful. I've got six basic categories: finance, internal, programme development, marketing, calls, proposals. They change occasionally.

Martin quotes Brian Tracy (2001, Eat that Frog!): "Spending 10 - 12 minutes planning your day will save you up to two hours in wasted time and diffuse effort throughout the day." Agreed.

Lists aren't a one-off. They're part of a living, breathing system. And here's a key thing: they free up your brain, so you're not wasting valuable brain power trying to remember what you're supposed to be doing. One more thing: have only three priorities at a time. Why? Our brains like threes and you can focus on three priorities, rather than swamp yourself with more.

Now what is zero-based calendaring? You may well know zero-based budgeting. In the latter case, you decide your new budget afresh, rather than using last year's and updating it. The same principle applies to zero-based calendaring.

So, with a completely blank calendar, get going as follows:

1. Put in things you just can't move. (Your child's school drop-of time is set.)

2. Block out your power hours: time to get high quality work done.

3. Add in your off-peak hours: walks, lunch, breaks.

4. Then add in points of control. (I call these re-group times.) This is when you check in on your progress in achieving your tasks and re-group.

5. Have a theme for each day. It may be writing a report, catching up, key conversations, research. 

6. Happy list-making and zero-based calendaring.