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By Phil, January 28, 2010 9:07 am

Reading time: 2 minutes and 12 seconds

Stay calm

Stay on top of your task list, prioritise and be more focused – click here to subscribe and never miss another post.

This is quite simply the best technique I know for staying focused on your priorities.  If you want to feel more organised, more effective and get more done, try this approach:

Step 1 – Set up a Weekly Master Task List

This process uses an old fashioned journal, so head to the store and find a properly bound notebook (ideally A4 sized across two pages such as a Moleskine).  Congratulations – this is your master task list.

On the first double page, write today’s date at the top left.  Every week, you’ll use a fresh double page to compile your master task list.  The left hand page is for work projects, the right hand page is for personal tasks.

Step 2 – Put all your projects and tasks down on paper

Start with the work page (the left hand side of the book).  Think of every project or area you are involved with and write a heading for that on the page.

Under each heading write in the specific tasks that you need to complete.  Don’t be shy about throwing everything in your mind down onto paper.  Keep going until you run out of ideas.

Now repeat this process for your personal tasks on the right hand side.  Get as detailed and specific as you can – the aim is to be complete.  If you need to buy a lightbulb, or return library books, put that in.  Also put in things you enjoy such as exercise and socialising.

The objective here is to get all of your tasks out of your brain and onto paper, so that the worry goes away.

Step 3 – Prioritise tasks

Now go through EVERY task on the page and write a priority next to them.  The priority scale is:

A-    Mission critical – this must be completed this week

B-    Important – this would be a nice to have for this week, but not vital

C-    Trivial – small and annoying, however if this is not completed, no big deal

Step 4 – Set days for completion

Now we get specific.  Look at your calendar for the week and determine how much time you have available each day for working on these tasks.  Go through your A rated tasks first and assign a day of the week for completion of these tasks.  Do the same thing for the Bs (don’t bother with the Cs).

Step 5 – Daily actions

Every morning, consult your Master Task List.  Identify the A and B tasks scheduled for the day. Take a Post-It note and write out the tasks you will accomplish and the order you plan to do them.  As you work through the list during the day, cross off each task.  At the end of the day, go back to the book and cross off all completed tasks (this feels good).

During each day, if new tasks arise or your brain remembers something that was missing from the master task list, add them in to keep the list up to date and prioritise as above.

Step 6 – Weekly refresh

At the end of every week, or the beginning of a new week (according to your preference), you need to refresh the Master List.  Start a fresh page and transfer over all remaining tasks from the prior week and add in any new ones.  If a task has been hanging around for a while and not getting done, consider if it is really important.  If not, don’t roll it over.  Now follow the process for prioritisation and scheduling for completion as above.

This simple process has helped me to create a sense of calm and assurance that nothing important gets missed.  Surprisingly, I’m not a natural list person and didn’t think it would work for me.  I’m by no means perfect, however it has certainly helped me to be much more effective and focussed.  Give this a try next week and see how it helps you – and don’t forget to share your tips about getting focused by leaving a comment.

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By Phil, October 21, 2009 4:44 pm

Reading Time: 2 minutes and 8 seconds

As I’ve turned my attention to Thinking Big for the next decade, I’ve encountered some interesting challenges.  Getting excited about the possibilities that lie ahead has seen me encounter some of my old friends – fear, anxiety and reality.  I’ve heard the little voices in my head popping up to try and persuade me “you can’t do that”, “don’t be ridiculous” or “that’s impossible”.  The fear of failure and the embarrassment that comes with it nearly stopped the Big Thinking in its tracks.  Luckily, I was drawn to the wise words of Rudyard Kipling in his poem, If.  Here are some key lessons:

1 If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too.

Kipling’s first lesson is to believe in yourself.  If you believe in your ability and your vision wholeheartedly, you’ll increase your chances of success.  It will help you to remain focused in your actions and to deal with the skepticism of others.  Starting with the mindset that everything is possible is a very powerful assumption for Thinking Big.  Kipling adds that it is understandable that others might doubt you, and not to dismiss them for that – however it is vital to trust yourself.   Building up our self-belief by taking action helps to lower our fear of failure.

2. If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, And treat those two impostors just the same;

Kipling’s famous line rings true for Thinking Big.  The path to realizing your goals may not always be smooth.  We all face kinks in the road, and days when everything seems to go wrong.  Kipling advises remaining calm and focused at these times.  The genius of this advice is to take the same approach when amazing triumphs occur.  Getting off the emotional rollercoaster ride is a key to staying focused and that helps us to achieve our goals.  We can only control our actions, not the results of how we act and this maxim reminds of us this.  If we give 100% and accept the results, fear of failure can start to fade away.

3. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,?’ Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch;

Kipling reminds us to stay humble regardless of our trajectory and surroundings.  Thinking Big may lead to huge changes in our life as the journey progresses.  Kipling suggests staying true to ourselves and being authentic in our relationships to others.  His advice is not to keep our virtue and humility intact as we progress on life’s journey.  This reminder has helped me to manage my anxiety over Thinking Big.

4. If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;

Kipling hits on one of the keys to Thinking Big – the ability to dream without letting the dream take over.  A dream or vision can provide huge motivation and focus, yet life has a sense of humour and the unexpected is never far away.  A fixed dream can become a rod for our backs, or even worse blind us to the possibilities in a situation.  Kipling teaches us that we have to be focused, yet flexible in our approach to life.

5. Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

Kipling reminds us again that if we follow our dreams and retain our composure, then anything and everything is possible.  Thinking Big isn’t easy but If we can stay focused, act with humility, believe in ourselves and manage our expectations then amazing success is possible.

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By Phil, October 9, 2009 11:15 am

Reading Time: 1 minute 4 seconds

I’ve found myself talking a lot about Thinking Big recently.  One metaphor that keeps coming up for me is the Story of the Orchard.  In the past I’ve thought big, but never acted big – I’ve lacked the confidence to believe in my vision.  It is natural to have doubts over a grand vision and there are always people on hand to knock your ideas and run you down.  Finding the self-confidence, dedication and patience to stick with the plan is a real challenge.

This story is about a farmer who had a run down field at the back of her house.  The farmer told her friend that one day that field would grow the best fruit in the county.  He laughed at her, “Ridiculous, that land is a disaster and it always has been – totally infertile and covered in weeds.  What a waste of time!”

Through the heat of the summer, the farmer toiled in the sun to pull out the thick-set weeds.  Sometimes she just wanted to pack it in and hide in the farmhouse.  When the land was cleared, she had to pick out the huge rocks and stones in the soil one by one.  It was backbreaking and her friend came by to remind her that she was wasting her time, every day.  She ploughed and fertilised the land, breaking several plough blades on hidden rocks along the way.  The thought crossed her mind “I am ridiculous” but she pictured the golden apples and strove on.

The farmer invested a good portion of her savings in the best seeds and cuttings she could afford and planted them.  She tended the young plants diligently.  The first year, there was a severe frost and most of the young plants were killed, however a few survived and that summer she got some beautiful strawberries.  She decided to give it one more go and follow her dream.  As the years went by, the sun and rain helped  the plants become mighty trees.  Before too long, the trees were groaning with sweet luscious fruit – much more than the farmer could ever use.  She shared the fruit with the whole county and particularly her friend who had mocked her on every occasion.  Before long, everyone was taking cuttings and seeds to grow their own fruit and no-one could contemplate not having an orchard.

This story shows that when you think big, everything is possible.  The key is to believe enough in your thoughts and overcome those around who think you are crazy.  Having a clear vision and plan is important.  Even more important is being patient and grateful and seeing potential challenges as part of the overall success.  In the end thinking big can yield fruit for you, those around you and even change the world that you live in.

So keep on exploring how you can think big, and also act big.  Also if you enjoyed this, please do subscribe by clicking the envelope icon to the right. You’ll get every new post delivered to you and you’ll support me in thinking big to get 1,000 subscribers to Less Ordinary Living.

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By Phil, October 7, 2009 7:58 am

Reading time: 1 minute 38 seconds

The start of the Season of Thinking Big caused quite a stir.  Thanks to all of you who wrote to me, sharing your commitments.  Many of you reflected on how much had happened in the last 10 years of your life and shared exciting visions of where the next decade might take you.  For me, Thinking Big has been really exciting and I’ve started to imagine the impact I could make if I really went for it.

As I sit here on a rainy Wednesday morning in London, I’m developing a vision of a global community committed to making the most of life. Connecting inspiring people like you and sharing ideas about how to improve both individual lives and the wider problems of our societies is really firing me up.  I’m going to continue developing this concept over the next few weeks, however the obvious realisation for me is that once we have started thinking big, we need to start acting big too.  I’m itching to get started.

So what is acting big?  Acting big is putting your money where your mouth is and starting to take the first steps to make the vision a reality.  Every great journey starts with a single step and this is no exception.  Acting big can be about being bold, daring and trying new things on the edge of your comfort zone.  Acting Big can also be about making smaller changes in your life to support the achievement of your goals.  So I’m laying out my first commitments to start acting big:

Acting Big!

1)   Start taking care of myself: I’ll be relying on my mind and body to provide the energy needed to make this journey happen.  Taking care of mind and body is essential to acting big.  I’m committing to running 3 times a week, being careful with my diet to avoid too much cholesterol and a daily 10 minute meditation.   I know that these changes will boost me towards my goals.

2)   Focus on Less Ordinary Living: I love writing this blog.  I am committing to using this blog as a vehicle to inspire others to live life to the full.  My first goal is to get 1,000 subscribers to Less Ordinary Living.  I’m going to work hard to attract readers, and ask you to help me do this.  If you enjoyed this article, please take a minute to subscribe (using the envelope button on the side).  I also ask you to act big and share this blog with five people you think might enjoy it.  You can help me start acting big today.

3)   Start spreading joy: My third commitment is to bring a positive attitude to every person I meet.  It’s all too easy for me to live life in a bubble and ignore others.  It won’t always be easy, but I will try my best to bring joy and positivity to everyone I meet.  I’d love a world where everyone did this, so I’m going to strive to set a good example.

As you can see, Acting Big doesn’t always involve making a grand gesture or turning your whole life upside down.  No need for me to base jump off Canary Wharf with a Less Ordinary Living flag (although now I come to think of it….).  It can be as simple as bringing a smile and a good attitude when you meet people.

As you continue to Think Big, start Acting big too.  What are the changes that will get you started in the right direction?  What can you do differently this week, what can you learn, or practice that will get you taking action?  If you make one commitment to act big per week and give it your absolute best effort, you’ll find yourself accelerating toward your big thinking goals before 2009 is over.  So what are you committing to this week? – share it with the world by making a comment.

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By Phil, September 30, 2009 4:18 pm

The Season of Thinking Big

Reading time: 1 minute and 14 seconds

As September slides over the horizon, there are only three months remaining in the decade.  It all started with a bang and fireworks at the Millennium and the time has simply flown by.  The last ten years have seen huge changes in my own life – qualifying as an accountant, getting married, moving to San Francisco for 5 years, finding a new career as a coach, starting my own practice.  It’s only when we stop for a minute that we can appreciate how much has happened and how much we’ve grown.

The new decade is around the corner and it brings a sense of promise and excitement.  This is the ideal time to start thinking big!  I’ve started to think about my potential for the next 10 years.  There are so many possibilities; starting a family, growing a great business, developing my skills and experience as a coach, seeing more of the world.  I’m going to think really big about what can be achieved and start with the premise that everything is possible.  Once the challenge and the vision are set for the next ten years, there’ll be no choice for me but to go for it.

The next three months are a great opportunity for you to take stock of where you are in your life.   Take the time to review the last 10 years and celebrate your greatest achievements, relive your biggest challenges and think about what you have learned.  You might be surprised about how much you’ve achieved personally and professionally.

This is also a chance to think big about your future.  Take some time to answer the following questions.  Most importantly answer them without limiting yourself about what is possible – give yourself a fair chance to be amazing.  Don’t curb your ambitions or put a limit on your dreams.

• What is your vision for life in ten years time (if you think big)?
• What would you like to have achieved personally and professionally (if you think bigger)?
• What are the three amazing things that you would like to accomplish over the next decade (if you think really big)?

Answering these questions should make you feel excited and a little daunted about the challenges that lie ahead.  If you feel comfortable, why not share your commitments by making a comment  on this posting.  Sharing your vision with the Less Ordinary Community is the first step to achieving it.