Planning and Organisation helps in GTD
It is all about GTD (getting things done) attitude. There are times when we get up and we are like Ohh!! GOD I have got so much to do today. The reason we are panicking is not because we have actually got a lot to do today(or may be we have …anyways) but because we did not finish the work from yesterday. And now it has piled up…stressing us out.
In that situation we have two possible resolutions:
1)
We slog and finish our backlog and today’s work and gear up for tomorrow.
2)
We plan again.
Looking at the outcome of what happened yesterday it is highly unlikely that we will be able to achieve the first resolution. (If you can then pat your back and keep up the good work. You can read the rest of this post but it might be useless)
Now we are left with only one choice – plan again. In a few moments we ca figure out a new arrangement of our tasks. We promise to our inner self that this time we will definitely stick to our plan and will achieve the expected. But do we really???
My guess is Nope…well no offences but the reason we fail is because we do not plan properly. There is a saying if you fail to plan you plan to fail. But a slight amendment goes like improper planning is as bad as failing.
Right…so where did it all go wrong. We sit back and think and we realise that there is a D-factor that tempts us over and over again to stop our work. D-factor hmm… what is this D-factor?
D-factor’s D stands for distraction. It can be defined as the disturbance we suffer from and we have to put up with while we are trying to meet a deadline. I know some people are committed and motivated and hibernate in their own world but for others this is addictive and harmful. For example: there are plenty of sources of distraction on the web now days. (I hope you know them well if you do not then you are wasting your time in reading this post)
How do we fight it or make us more productive?
Just reduce the D-factor…unfortunately we cannot reduce this D-factorinstead we should learn to live with it. Cutting off the influence of D-factor is down to an individual’s own efforts but here are a few tips:
- When you work just work and do not watch videos or browse web…I find it so difficult.
- If someone at work approaches you with some other work politely tell them off because you are busy and concentrating. This is not rude. This is just your style of working.
- If you cannot concentrate…take a break or move on to something else. Come back to the problem the next day.
- If you do not feel like doing anything just do housekeeping on your computer or your workplace. As you won’t be productive when your mind is somewhere else.
- Remember if something has to be done it has to be …so just try harder.
Well there won’t be a need to plan again if we would have planned properly in the first place. Right…so now we come down to planning. I am not an exemplary planner yet I have witnessed some poor planning. Let us say you have a set of tasks namely:
Task a, Task b, Task c, Task d
Contemplate following factors when you calculate the time you will require:
1)
Your skill set For example: Guy A has done basic Java before and now he has to code a drag and drop Java applet. Guy A gets ambitious and allocates less time to complete the task. End result: The Client/Boss/Senior is going bonkers….Guy A is frustrated with his performance …eventually falling into a state of demoralisation.
2)
Your experience on doing that task
3)
The minimal D-factor (since you will attempt to reduce them). Productivity sits on the opposite end of distraction. Now where do you want to sit? Make a choice quickly or it will be made for you by your Client/Boss/Senior – “He is not productive…put him outside the productivity circleâ€
4)
The slack time (to cater for any risks; risks like falling ill, or could be anything).
Let us say we have done all the calculation and figured out that Task a is going to take 3 hours. My advice is put it 3 hours 30 minutes. I do not think you are inept but we are never working at 100% all the time and when we plan we get ambitious and reduce the time required to complete a task. Therefore, it becomes necessary to add a bit of time in the end. Late completion of Task A is as bad as not completing and since we appreciate the deadline it is essential to deliver on time.
This ensures two things:
1)
Firstly we have a robust plan to complete the task on time even if there is a sturdy influence from the D-factor’s camp.
2)
It will earn us Brownie points for finishing the task before time.
But not to forget…it is absolutely necessary to ensure the execution is as good as the preparation (plan).