Staying organized and managing your to-do list is a challenge. There are a ton of systems and tools that claim to help you get more done. You can spend so much time shopping for a tool  you don’t get anything done. What really matters is finding a strategy that works for you.

The Search

I’ve tried a lot of different methods to keep track of all that I have to get done: sticky notes, to-do lists, outlook tasks, white boards, note pads, and apps (lots of apps). Many of these were suitable options. All had their limitations.

• easily captured tasks
• accessibility across platforms (iPhone, web, iPad, desktop)
• real-time sync
• useable for both single tasks and projects
• sharing capabilities
• ability to keep notes on a task (such as “left a message on Monday”)
• simple user interface (UI)

I’ve put numerous apps to the test. Most of them came up short. However, there is one app that I keep coming back to – Wunderlist.

It’s About The Process

You may use other tools or apps. You may stick to a pen and pad strategy. That’s fine. The tool you use is less important than the process that allows your mind to stay focused on the task at hand.

Allow me to walk you through my process for gathering, categorizing and getting tasks done. These are simple principles you can apply to almost any task management system you’re using.

Set Up: How to Organize Your Task Lists

I forget things. I’ll tell someone I’ll send them an article, report or product. Then I’ll get busy with something else and forget. This is especially true when I’m away from the office. Having a tool that goes where I go is crucial to my task management system.

Now, as soon as a discrete task is identified (e.g., email presentation to Jim), I add it to my to-do list. Since I have my iPhone nearly everywhere I go, I can plug a task into my list in two taps. This helps prevent me from letting things slip through the cracks.

This is what it looks like when I’m entering a task on my iPhone.

A boss once asked me how I could remember all the things he asked me to do. Before long, I taught him how to use Wunderlist.

The key to capturing is that you have to do it right away. In meetings, I’ll jot down a note in my notebook and, afterwards, plug it all into Wunderlist. Nothing gets overlooked and no balls get dropped.

Tip: If you haven’t already, create a list of unprocessed tasks in your Wunderlist inbox. Remember, capturing is paramount.

I prefer to group like tasks rather than have one massive list of things to get done. Wunderlist allows me to create separate lists. I use them to group tasks together for projects, trips, and more.

Here you can see how Wunderlist displays multiple task lists.

The benefit here is that if I want to know where I stand on a specific project, I open the appropriate folder and it tells me exactly what needs doing.

There are all sorts of ways to categorize your tasks: time of day, context, energy required, location, time needed, project, etc. Wunderlist also allows you star tasks. More on that later.

Recently, Wunderlist added tags to their ever-growing features list. Basically, you add a #hashtag to any to-do item and then you can search to find all tasks with that hashtag across all of your lists.

• traditional GTD stages (e.g., #WF for waiting for, #SM for someday/maybe)
• times of the day (e.g., #morning, #afterlunch)
• energy required (e.g., #low, #med, #high) or priority (e.g., #prio1, #prio2). Use your imagination!

This is really where finding what works for you is key. Try some different things and experiment until you find what works.

Integration: How to Actually Get Things Done

Now that you have captured your to-do items and have set up your categories, what’s next? It’s time to get things done!

I recommend doing this before you leave work for the evening. Review your projects and task lists (however you’ve categorized them) in search of 3-5 tasks that will become your focus for tomorrow.

Avoid the temptation to bite off more than you can chew (preaching to myself here).

This daily scan also helps keep you aware of upcoming projects.

Using the star feature in Wunderlist is how I mark those 3-5 tasks that I’ll focus my effort and attention on tomorrow.

This is how Wunderlist displays my Starred list.

Throughout the day, I check my “starred” list, which is at the top of my lists in Wunderlist. I don’t get distracted by other to-do items and can focus on my highest priorities.

Tip: Even if you don’t scan and star your priorities the day before, this is exactly how you want to start the morning – prior to opening email.

Finally, the part we’ve all been waiting for…doing the work. Start with your toughest and most important task from your 3-5 list. This way, if that is the only thing you get done today you can still call it a success.

Once that’s done, go back to the list you’ve made for today. For me, that’s the starred list.

If I complete all of my starred tasks before the end of the day, I return to scanning or sort my tasks by the tags mentioned above to find my next action item.

Bonus

With Wunderlist, as is true for other tools, there are a number of additional features you can leverage.

Reminders: Through the process outlined above, I have essentially eliminated the need for reminders. However, I occasionally use them for specific tasks that have a deadline or due date.

Sharing: Wunderlist allows you to share task lists. If you share your list with others, you can also engage in collaborative conversations about specific tasks within that list. Honestly, I haven’t used this feature very much, but I would if I was working with a team on different projects.

Subtasks: As we all know, many tasks can be broken down into even smaller components. That’s where subtasks come in. If I need to speak with different people or assemble multiple items before sending them to a client, I’ll use subtasks to make sure the little things get done.

Notes: This is especially helpful when I’m capturing a task or idea. I capture all of my blog post ideas in Wunderlist. In the notes for that idea I may include illustrations, resources or even a rough outline to start from – whatever is in my head at the moment.

I’ll also use this if I couldn’t complete the task.  For instance, if I need to call Susan and she doesn’t answer, I’ll make a note that I left her a voicemail. Then I can add the #WF tag to the task to indicate that I’m now waiting for her to call back.

When you open a task, this is where you can set due dates, reminders, add subtasks and notes.

One thing I love about Wunderlist is that they continue to evolve, improve and add helpful features.

Regardless of your task management system, the same core principles apply.
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Regardless of what tool you use to manage your to-do list, you can still apply these basic principles. When we aren’t trying to use our brains to remember all we need to do, our minds are free to focus on the tasks right in front of us, be creative and find solutions. Perhaps more importantly, we don’t drop the ball. We deliver the goods, get things done and can live in the present moment.

Question: What is one tip you have for staying on top of your to-do list? I’d love to hear what’s working for you in the comments below.

• App: Wunderlist
• Post: Do What Matters Most Today: 4 Tips to Get You Started

The post How To Get More Done with the Power of Wunderlist first appeared on The Excelling Edge.

Why is it that the benefits of practice and preparation can evade us when it’s time to make the big play, close the deal or deliver the speech? Our muscles tighten, our tongues tie themselves in knots and we’re as awkward as a giraffe in puberty. Fear raises its nasty head, doubts creep in and all we can picture are the things that can go wrong. Has this ever happened to you?

This kind of anxiety is the last thing you want before it’s time to perform. Through my experience as an athlete and now as a speaker, I’ve learned that I can put these demons to rest. One quick way is by using mental rehearsal (also called visualization). Learn how to make it effective here. Before any important event, I use mental rehearsal to increase my chances of success. Many clients I’ve coached have found it helpful too.

Using mental rehearsal right before you execute increases your chances of success. Here’s 2 scientific reasons to make it part of your routine.

Prime Neural Connections

Coaches often talk about building muscle memory. The tactics are practice and repetition. However, it is the brain that tells the muscles what to do. In the brain, neural connections are paving a route that culminates in the execution of the desired action. Mental rehearsal achieves nearly the same objective. And, it’s more controllable. Once I determine what right looks like, I can repeat it again and again in my mind.

As an athlete, this directly impacted my chances of success. When I rehearsed a serve in tennis in my mind before I actually hit the ball, I was more likely to get the result I wanted. In this case, that meant the intended technique, velocity and accuracy of the serve. When I didn’t use mental rehearsal, my chances dropped. Mental rehearsal warms up the connections in the brain like a dress rehearsal before the big show.

Prime Positive Emotions

Most everyone knows that confidence is key for a high level of performance, regardless of the context. Whether on the field, in the office or asking someone out on a date, you need confidence.

When you mentally rehearse a successful outcome in your mind, the picture triggers positive emotions such as confidence. Positive emotions counteract stress and relax the body. When we’re less stressed and more relaxed, our minds and bodies both work with greater precision.

Settle your nerves and prime yourself to get the results you’re looking for. Learn to use your brain to work for you rather than against you. The more you use mental rehearsal, the more effective it will be for you. Mental rehearsal has a permanent place in my pre-performance routine. What about yours?

Question: When will you give mental rehearsal a shot? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. 

Links: 

• Post: Mental Rehearsal: From Saving Lives to Winning at Work
• Post: 3 Tactics to Corral Nervousness and ACE Your Next Performance

The post Why Imagery Needs to be Part of Your Routine first appeared on The Excelling Edge.

Carpe Diam, seize the day, is one of my favorite adages. It is a value I hold, something to aspire to. This attitude begins first thing in the morning. I believe that how we start our day has a direct correlation with the value in the rest of our day. Thus, being intentional to develop a powerful morning routine is essential. 

Over the last year, I’ve come to really enjoy Erik Fisher’s Beyond the To-Do List Podcast. One question Erik asks each of his guests is, “How do you start off your ideal day?”

His guests are efficiency addicts and achievers, experts like David Allen and Ray Edwards. I find their responses very intriguing because there really is no best morning routine.

The reality is, we all have morning routines. Some people just aren’t aware of them. However, if we want to seize the day, we should be aware of and intentional about our morning routines. This may lead to the need for changes.

I’ve found from time to time that my morning routine needs adjustment. Sometimes my schedule changes or my priorities do. Hearing how other high achievers start their day provides inspiration and ideas. From reinventing my own morning routine and helping clients do the same, I’ve found there is a simple step-by-step process to follow.

You can reinvent your morning routine by asking 5 guiding questions.

1. What Goal Do I Have For My Routine?

Since morning routines evolve over time, it’s best to check in on yours. Decide what goals you have for your morning routine. Is it to get out the door as quickly as possible? Is it to get some time in the alone zone to focus on an important project? Perhaps a goal for your routine is to spend a few quality minutes with the kids.

You can easily imagine that the routines for each of these examples would be wildly different. Your goals will guide you to a routine that best serves your individual lifestyle and purposes. My goal involves building momentum into my day, starting with what matters most.

2. What Are My Top Priorities?

While I see your goals as the outcomes, priorities are the bigger picture things that you value most. This is why some people exercise as part of their morning routine. It isn’t necessarily because it helps them feel more energized at work. Certainly, exercise can do that. More than likely, it’s because exercise and being healthy are things they value.

So, what are your top priorities, the things that you really value? To be clear, I’m talking about your priorities in life. What are the things that most deserve your time, effort and focus? For me, it is faith, personal growth, and family. Do those priorities deserve a place in your morning routine?

3. Does My Current Routine Match My Goals and Priorities?

This is your assessment question. How well does your current routine align with your morning goals and what matters most to you? First, build awareness of the routine you already have. This allows you to assess how well it’s working for you. I suggest writing down your routine in detail. For bonus points, put times for how long each piece takes.

When you then begin to assess how well your routine aligns with your goals and priorities, I’d imagine the answer isn’t black and white. Some may and some may not. The point is to see where you are.

4. What Would Be My Ideal Routine?

Now, it is time to dream a little. Not too many people I know can stick to the exact same routine, to the minute, everyday, with no exceptions. Schedules change. You’ve got an early meeting. Little Zoe is sick today. However, I find my answer to this question is filled with possibilities. Possibilities are exciting.

5. How Can I Align My Ideal Routine?

Your mission is to find the middle ground between your current and ideal morning routine. See how far you can inch toward the ideal. Of course, any time you aim to change something, the first thing to change is yourself. You may need to get up a little earlier. That was the case for me. You may have to rethink your leisurely stop at the coffee shop.

To get started is exciting. Initially, I wrote my reinvented routine out like a timeline that I referenced for a couple of weeks until it was ingrained. You may want to try that too.

If you’re curious about the morning routines of others, like I am, here is my current high-powered morning routine.

• Glass of water to hydrate and jump start the body.
• Cup of black coffee (programed to brew the night before).
• Journaling to capture 3 Good Things and other thoughts.
• Time with God (Bible reading, study and prayer).
• A brief check of email, social media, article browsing (time dependent).
• Shower and Dress.
• Breakfast with the family.

Whether your focus is to get out the door as quickly as possible or to ease into your day, the key is to be intentional. A morning of focus, efficiency and high quality effort doesn’t come by chance. Give these 5 guiding questions a try and reinvent your morning routine. Carpe Diam.

As a bonus, you could apply the same 5 guiding questions for how you start your day once you get to work!

Question: What is one thing you could do to improve your morning routine? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Links:

• Podcast: Beyond the To Do List
• Post: 2 Simple Questions That Will Make You Happier Today
• Post: 5:00 AM: Up And At ‘Em (How Incremental Change Made It Happen)

The post 5 Questions to Reinvent Your Morning Routine first appeared on The Excelling Edge.

We’ve all heard of it, many of us have experienced it and all of us want more of it. I’m talking about “the zone.” Other terms for this are flow, peak performance, etc. Regardless, athletes refer to it in an illusive, mythical sense. Often, it seems we stumble into that special state, during which time stands still, our performance feels effortless, we are fully composed and our confidence is unshakable. Then, the instant we realize we’re in the zone, like the eye of a tornado, it’s gone. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way.

As a collegiate and competitive tennis player, I chased after the zone, like an addiction. Through some research and trial and error, I began to realize that I had some control. I had a say in getting into the zone heading into a tennis match. The key, I found, was my pre-performance routine. How I prepared my mind and body going into a match made a huge difference.

The zone is what psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Finding Flow, calls “flow.” In an article published by Psychology Today, he describes it as “that state of effortless concentration and enjoyment.” According to Csikszentmihalyi, flow happens when our skills are fully involved in pursuing a goal or task that requires an appropriate response.

Tennis is a great example because there are clear goals and rules that guide the performance of each player. But, this can happen in many areas of life when we have a task or goal to complete that takes concentration and challenges our abilities.

Playing an instrument, writing, public speaking, programing, rock climbing, performing surgery, litigations are all great examples. The main hurdles are getting in the zone, staying there and getting back to it when you get distracted.

When it comes to getting into the zone, it is my pre-performance routine that sets the course of how I will perform and respond when challenges arise.

Here are 3 powerful questions that help me build pre-performance routines for optimal performance regardless of the task. Try them out for yourself. 

What Does My Ideal Performance Look Like? 

As Stephen R. Covey advised in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “Start with the end in mind.” I can’t prepare my mind and body to perform a certain way if I don’t know what is required. So, take on the role of film director in your mind and create a vivid motion picture of what your ideal performance looks like, feels like, smells like, etc.

As a speaker, I consider my energy level, voice, facial expressions, emotions, movements and mastery of the information I’m communicating. Get crystal clear about what this looks like for you. Then, it is time to figure out how to get there.

What Thoughts Are Going to Lead Me There?

Cognitive-behavioral psychologists have been telling us for years that it is our thoughts that drive our actions. So, what is it that you need to say to yourself to help create your ideal performance? Think on purpose. Don’t leave your thoughts up to chance when it comes to performance. Be proactive, not reactive with your thoughts.

The post How Can You Get Into The Zone More Consistently? first appeared on The Excelling Edge.