Using Five Before Ten Lists to Get Things Done

  • 1 min read
Lists

It’s all about Getting Things Done these days.

There are as many models for Getting Things Done (GTD) as there are stars in the sky. Well, maybe not that many, but close.

What’s your preferred method for Getting Things Done?

I’d like to share a model I am experimenting with now. It’s simple to say and so far it’s been effective in practical use. It’s a 5 Before 10 List.

Five Before Ten

It’s as simple and obvious as it sounds.

What are the FIVE things you will do BEFORE ten am today.

That’s it.

Then after you have accomplished these 5 things before 10am … write your 5 before 3 list. Where you list out the Five Things you’ll do BEFORE Three PM.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

But my schedule is different

If these times don’t work for you and your schedule … just adjust the times.

If the number of tasks don’t work for you and the way you work … adjust them.

This is not a mandate. It’s just a model.

Use what works for you. Try it for a few days. If it’s working … keep going. If not – stop, assess, re-configure, and re-set.

Keep Moving and GTD

As you do more 5 Before 10’s you will find what you are really good at doing in the mornings and what can be best shifted to your 5 Before 3 afternoon efforts. You will likely find that some tasks are best done in the morning.

Find your balance points for efficiency.

Slot them into 5 Before 10 –or- 5 Before 3 as needed.

Perhaps because you might have more energy or focus in the mornings or perhaps because the other people you rely upon need time to complete their 5 Before 10 efforts first.

As you do this more you will find a rhythm that works for you. As you get better at both listing and completing your 5 Before 10’s you will Stand Out In Your Career. People will seek you out because they know you value your time and you allocate it wisely. Getting Things Done is a skill many aspire to have and too often struggle to achieve.

Try Using Five Before Ten Lists to Get Things Done for a week and see how it works out for you. If you have another model that works share in the comments so we all can learn.

Picture of Jeff Shuey

Jeff Shuey

Jeff is an expert in the Enterprise Content Management industry. He brings over 20 years of Channel Sales, Partner Marketing and Alliance expertise to audiences around the world in speaking engagements and via his writing. He has worked for Microsoft, Kodak, and K2. He is currently consulting with Microsoft and partners to drive Community Engagement and Alliances. Follow him on Twitter @jshuey or on LinkedIn: in/JeffShuey

TRENDING AROUND THE WEB

I spent years trying to become more self-aware. Nobody warned me that sometimes insight just gives your loneliness better vocabulary

I spent years trying to become more self-aware. Nobody warned me that sometimes insight just gives your loneliness better vocabulary

The Vessel
People raised by emotionally distant parents often become excellent at reading rooms and terrible at asking directly for love

People raised by emotionally distant parents often become excellent at reading rooms and terrible at asking directly for love

The Vessel
Parents who feel strangely sad when their children become independent aren’t always being clingy — sometimes they’re quietly mourning a version of family life that can’t come back

Parents who feel strangely sad when their children become independent aren’t always being clingy — sometimes they’re quietly mourning a version of family life that can’t come back

The Vessel
The words people choose under pressure — and what they signal to others

The words people choose under pressure — and what they signal to others

Global English Editing
The cost of getting it right: procrastination in the writing process

The cost of getting it right: procrastination in the writing process

Global English Editing
AI can produce a blog post in seconds and most readers cannot tell the difference and that is not the problem people think it is

AI can produce a blog post in seconds and most readers cannot tell the difference and that is not the problem people think it is

The Blog Herald
Load more
CATEGORIES
Explore