0
0
How do you do things – tasks and hobbies?
Do you have a process that you follow? A set of rules and beliefs that you have upheld in your life. Rules that helped and made you who you are as of today. Sit still for a while and think – you might have it, maybe you’re not aware of it.
Whenever you do a task, did you have a set of things that you did beforehand? Like writing down or discussing with your partner/family about what to do and buy at home. And at your office, you must have discussed with your manager and formulated the best course of action to complete your deliverables. All the emails and tasks are now in your calendar, and you have started to work on them. All these things are engraved within yourself that you do it often on autopilot.
You are on autopilot, so you can focus on what’s important.
Most of us have a tried and tested way that we have followed for the entirety of our life. A routine that you do whenever you find something like what you have done before. For example, for groceries – you think and write down whatever you want to buy (Decide), buy it (Act) and make the food you love (Result). For a meeting, you write the Agenda (Decide), you meet your clients (Act) and finish the list of tasks and the deadlines for a seamless process of the project (Result).
These processes may come as in a routine or jumping all in on it kind of process. Whatever process everyone does, there is no right or wrong way to do it. The only thing that matters is whether it helps them or not. Everyone is unique, and the way people work is different. No matter the case, if you are going the right path and enjoying what you do, kudos. If not, then you might want to check and see what you did wrong and correct it.
Similarly I, too, have a process – I call it the SCRIPT of my life. They are:
✍ Systemize all Resources
🌊 Create a Flow
🤔 Revise and Re-edit
⚙ Integrate
🎬 Put it into Action
🗃 Tally
As I mentioned, this is not a post on what you “should” do, but what you “could” do based on what you read below. You can try it out if you’d like, or take parts and remodel it into what works for you or skip it altogether. I would like you to live the way you love. 😀
✍ Step 1: Systemize all Resources
This process starts in two batches – one every beginning of each month and one every Sunday. I first start by listing out everything from my head.
- All the tasks/hobbies that I was doing till today.
- All the things that I want to try out.
- Works that have a deadline this month.
- Habits that I want to do this month.
- Books materials to read/Topics to learn etc.
This will be a long list. I promise. 😂 Whenever I write down all the things that I want to do and currently do, it feels like a heap of things.
Once I dump everything from my head, next comes the process of finding things that are feasible for me to do. I use my simplified version of the Eisenhower matrix to find what I have to do in the current month. I break it down as:
- Have To (Tasks/Hobbies for which I have a deadline and I must not leave this.)
- Can Do (Tasks/Hobbies that I decided to try out.)
- Maybe (Tasks/Hobbies that I haven’t decided what to do with it.)
By now, I have a list somewhat shorter than what I started. Now comes the process of assigning timelines to all tasks.
🌊 Step 2: Create a Flow
Once I have the list of tasks/hobbies for the month, I plot down tasks on my calendar with a definite deadline. Once all the “Have To” list gets done, I can understand my availability for the rest of the month.
After that, I make a hypothetical timeline for all the remaining tasks. There will be tasks that might overlap with other timelines and some which need less time, like 5-15 mins. These give me a sense of how much time I can allot per task. I also make sure to add one day buffer for anything that happens or when my timelines get extended.
🤔 Step 3: Revise and Re-edit
I don’t need my tasks to take up a lot of time if I don’t need them. For example, if I want to automate in Photoshop – I learn to create an action droplet, and that’s it. If I’m interested to learn more about a topic, then I take a course on it. Usually, in edX, LinkedIn Learning or other platforms that offer specific courses.
So once the plotting completes, I recheck everything to make sure if it’s possible to do all the “Can Do” tasks.
If yes, what dates will be best for me to do these tasks based on the “Have To” commitments? I try not to have two time-taking works together as possible. Thus, not needing to decide whether to leave the task uncompleted if a new timeline starts.
If no, then I trim down the tasks further to find time for my “Have To” works. I also schedule some me-time, entertainment, games and not do anything.
⚙ Step 4: Integrate
Once I have a list that I can work with, I check to see if there are tasks that I can do together. For example, listening to a podcast while walking or things like that. If I can complete two or more work together, this gives me time for any unexpected tasks – like assignments, exams etc.
🎬 Step 5: Put it into Action
Nothing complicated. Just do the things that I planned out to do based on the deadlines. 😄
If I have completed it and still have some time left – I either do not do anything and watch anime/play games or take up some other tasks from my trimmed “Can Do” list.
🗃 Step 6: Tally
The last step that I do at the end of the month is to review all tasks – both completed and uncompleted. This gives me a sense of how many I finished and how much I could have done. I can also check whether there was some reason for those uncompleted tasks. May it be boredom, procrastination, another task with a deadline or unreal expectation.
Once I understand how one month went, I start the process for the next month.
What would your script be like? A symphonic orchestra or chaos in ethos.
