On Track

As I create a task, I first decide: What is the physical action I must perform when I execute it?

For years, I have known that if I can group together similar activities, i.e., physical actions, I can create a “roll.”

So I plan my day in time blocks. I’ll make all my calls together, have my meetings back-to-back, and handle all my e-mail in their own block as well as other activities.

So I have a column labeled “Activity.”

The “activities” I use are:o Call o Meetingo Admin (an administrative task other than writing, e-mailing, or online research or reading)o Writeo E-mailo Onlineo Errando Reado Chore (generally something some-one else wants me to do that I don’t want to do)

Next I try to relate my task to some broader goal I am trying to accomplish. So I created a column labeled “Goal.” In the sample spreadsheet (which you can download at www.billgood.com/stuffdone), I have set up three goals as examples:o Taxes ready to file by February.o Improve client contact.o Be able to find stuff.

Using a wonderful feature of Excel called “AutoFilter,” you can easily view only the tasks related to a particular goal.

The next column is “Task.” This describes the action you’re going to do. Ideally, it should be something you can perform in a relatively short period of time and should only include one thing to do. For instance, a task such as, “Set up a filing system,” should be broken down into:o Go to the store and buy some new files.o Clean out the top two drawers.o File the stuff on the left hand corner of my credenza.o File the stuff in the box under the desk.

“Start Date” is a column I use for every task. You might not care when you thought up a particular idea. But I like to know. So I use Start Date for the date I actually entered the task into the spreadsheet. “Due Date” is obviously the date you have for completing this task.

In my spreadsheet, I have approximately 170 things that I want to accomplish. So far, I seem to be completing, and in some cases canceling, tasks at about the same rate I add them.

“Status” is the current state of a task. If I leave it blank, I haven’t started it at all. If I have assigned it to someone else, I mark it “Pending.” And when it is completed, I mark it “Done.” I normally set my AutoFilter so it does not display actions which are “Done.”

I went through the Franklin Planning course probably four times. I failed miserably in setting up their system for prioritizing actions. They want you to set up your As, Bs, Cs and then go back through and decide which is your A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C1,C2, etc. I never could do that.

As part of my own daily planning, I mark some actions as A priority. Then I use my AutoFilter to view only those. Then I will even hide some of the columns (another feature of Excel), copying my A-Priority list to the clipboard, paste it into an e-mail and e-mail it to my iPhone (love the iPhone).

Finally, the column “Assigned” is obviously the person to whom the action is assigned. Most of the tasks are assigned to me. But I’ve created a couple of reports that show me who is responsible for how many tasks and what kind of tasks they are. How nice to get a big picture review.

Three Key ToolsThere are three key tools that I’ve used in managing my own tasks. Rather than give you a bunch of technical writing here, I’ve created some simple demonstrations to show you how to use the AutoFilter, the Data Form (which makes it easy to enter a bunch of tasks) and the Pivot Table Report which I have always considered the crown jewel in Excel. With this report, you can get different snapshot views of what you’re doing, when it’s due, how the tasks break down by goal and lots of other stuff.

You can see them at www.billgood.com/stuffdone. I’ve also placed there a white paper called “Get Organized,” which is from earlier Research articles updated as of just a few months ago.

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Bill Good is chairman of Bill Good Marketing Systems in Draper, Utah; see www.billgood.com