Don’t Drop The Ball

“A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones.” – Proverbs 14:30 

Have you ever tried to find God’s peace when you are in jeopardy of missing a project deadline? What if you know you might drop a ball because you can’t say for sure what balls you are currently responsible for?

It feels like I live through these thought patterns far too often. Not that I haven’t worked to solve the problem. I’ve been an advocate of David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” system for years. I love his work. If fully implemented, GTD allows you to know that no balls are going to be dropped. If you are in danger of missing a deadline, you can ask to reschedule because the system allowed you to see the problem coming. 

This article was intended to be the fourth and final in our series discussing the habits required to stand out in any field as outlined in Jordan Raynor’s book, “Stand Out.” The three habits are to show up on time, respond to your messages, and complete your tasks on time. Raynor uses GTD to make sure he completes all his tasks on time. 

What this article has become is a jumping-off point on how to complete your tasks on time and ensure you are completing the right tasks. 

In concept, GTD (Getting Things Done) is a beautiful thing. Practically, it is a bear to implement! We have multiple in-boxes to manage and constantly changing demands from numerous stakeholders. How can we get on top of the “whirlwind” of our lives so we can take steps towards the life we dream of?

Like most things in life, the concept is simple. The implementation is what separates the sheep from the goats. I have tried and failed to implement GTD many times. If you read much about the concept you’ll find many people who have had similar troubles implementing the system. The great thing is that every time I’ve failed to fully implement GTD, I have become better and more productive. Parts of the system have stuck with me. I see that as a victory. 

Let’s get started by figuring out what balls you want to carry to your finish line. This process is best identified in the first three of Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” They are:

1. Be Proactive – We must start this and any endeavor believing that we can make positive changes in our life. I must believe that I can control my workload and have a family life. As they say, “If it has to be, it must start with me.” What mindset shifts do you need to make to believe you can build the life and business of your dreams?
2. Begin With The End in Mind – This is where you start to filter through what matters and what doesn’t. Go through the exercise of envisioning your life from your death bed. What mattered? Hold on to the categories that matter and define success in each of those. Mine are Faith, Family, Fitness/Health, Finances/Work and Fun. What are yours? How do you define success in each?

This process works for individuals and businesses. It business, we call it strategic planning. 

3. Put First Things First – This is where your big rocks go into your jar first (your jar is your calendar). Some of the pebbles, sand, etc. will make it in also. But, to be effective we must say no to tasks that do not get us closer to our big rock goals. 

This gets tricky at work and home. We must get better at saying “No” to the little stuff so we can deliver on our promises to ourselves and others on our big rocks. 

GTD is the ultimate system to help us deliver on our most important projects. GTD helps us get every commitment down on paper. This allows us to free up mental space, execute on what matters most, and “not drop balls.”

We’ll continue our walk down the GTD path next week.

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