Q. How do I know if I am assigning enough tasks to get done for the day? I struggle with knowing how much time writing tasks take (some writing tasks/projects go quicker than others) so I am constantly adjusting my calendar which is taking up valuable time each day. I can’t seem to set appropriate personal deadlines either; they just come and go.

If you are like 99% of people – you are planning too many tasks for each day.  That happens for two reasons.

1. Humans are not too great at estimating how long things are going to take.  If you doubled your estimate, you’d be closer to correct.  We will be talking about that in the Hat Trick Program so stay tuned!
2. When we’re estimating our time and our tasks, we also aren’t thinking about and taking into consideration all the “stuff” and interruptions that are just part of life.  Phones ring, people drop in, the toner runs out and we have to stop and replace it (after we find it), we need to go to the bathroom, get a cup of coffee, the internet goes down right when we were going to start looking for citations for an article, a baby wakes up, etc.  So, what many experts recommend is that we actually plan for ½ the discretionary time we believe we have – and then it might fit.  Some jobs allow you to plan for more than 50% but some jobs allow for less.

Q. How do I short-circuit the thinking that one should have a long to-do list to coincide with one’s ambition?

Try dividing up your “to-do” list. Have a to-do list and a “someday/maybe” list (that’s what David Allen calls it), a “grasscatcher list” (that’s what the guy who started Day-Timers called it, or a “Not Now List” (that’s what I call it). I have projects and to-do’s that I can think about now and others that will just freak me out if I am staring at them every day. I shift things to my “Not Now” list and then later can shift them back.

Q. I also am on maternity leave, so simple tasks like paying non-recurring bills or answering emails become a day-long project (especially if they require information gathering). It’s kind of depressing to constantly confront how little I get done every day.

The reason you’re on maternity leave is to get your baby settled into this world and to let your body and mind heal and rest from the incredible ordeal of pregnancy and childbirth. THAT is what you’re getting done. This isn’t like a 4 month leave or a 4 month sabbatical or a 4 month vacation. And I think what happens is that when any of us are off because of maternity or surgery or something like that, we treat it as if we’re just “off” so we should be getting stuff done.

One more suggestion…what if you had someone come in and take care of your baby a few hours each day (even 2) to give you a chance to rest or do something that you want to do – without constantly watching out for or worrying about your little one. Is that possible? Is there someone you could ask?

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Consider these questions and response in the context of your situation.  What can you do to help yourself be more productive?

I was just re-reading this great TTPT about using your planner productively and realize that I struggle with implementing this. I’m hoping you can point me to some answers.

For many years, I’ve used a Franklin Planner, first the Classic, then I downsized to the Compact after kids.  It used to be my bible, but it got too cumbersome so for the last two years I simply ordered the monthly calendar pages and kept everything in a work Outlook calendar, manually ‘synching’ non-work appointments between home and work. Yet, I still kept a large family calendar at home and a ‘Hallmark-sized’ monthly datebook for appointments, etc., in my purse. For 2010, I’m using a 3-1/2 x 5” Monthly Dayminder…good for noting important appointments, but I chose not to refill my Franklin Planner. It sits on my desk as a reference tool. I print weekly Outlook calendars (one for work and one for kids’ activities) with a ‘to do’ column. I don’t have a cool PDA device, by the way.

I’m a project manager and keep track of tasks and schedules reasonably well in Outlook and MS-Project. My problem (or what I perceive to be one), is that I don’t have an easy way to maintain a master ‘home-life’ task list, day-to-day or week-to-week, on any of my paper pseudo-planners. Any ideas or advice?

My response is as follows:

I’ve been a Franklin Covey fanatic for years…and just this year switched to CIRCA from Levenger.com.  I was just ready for a change.  I think you have identified that you do need something for managing all the home stuff.  For me (and really what most folks recommend) is that we have one planner system that handles both work and personal.  It wouldn’t replace MS Project or anything like that, but you need one calendar/planner system where all of your appointments, meetings, kids’ commitments, etc. all show up.  Your personal and professional to-do’s also need to be captured in one place.  It’s the only way we can really get a picture of what we are committed to.  Now, if you completely separate your work and home life (fixed hours at work, etc.), then maybe you can get away with separating your planners, but most people have it all mixed together since that’s how life goes these days. 

Now if you are asking about the Master Task List (which is what FC calls it), then I think you can separate that out professional and personal, but it is still one life so having these lists located in one place still makes sense to me.

I’m not sure I’m addressing your questions at all!  The more I read your email, I think I may be missing the real question!  HA!  So, keep asking and I’ll be more prompt on the next answer!  Thanks