Caffeine, To-Do Lists, and the Sequence of Things
From an ADDexecutive reader:
“If I have a clear set of tasks to do, a big cup of coffee in the morning is a great productivity-enhancer. I get straight to work and stay focused for hours. But if I don’t have a clear set of tasks in mind before I have the coffee, I’m just wired and rudderless.”
Many times there’s a sequence to doing things. We ADDexecs have spent many years ignoring the steps, and sometimes that’s fine. But sometimes we really need to know the 1, 2, 3…
Assembling “a clear set of tasks to do” may be a big challenge when we’re working on large, complex projects where the list of tasks and priorities is not easy to write. But on many of our days, writing up a coffee-mug’s worth of priority tasks is pretty simple, and only takes a minute.
Just for today — try this for a late-afternoon task: write down your priority items for tomorrow morning. Then when you get to the office, you’ll know. Before the caffeine boost. And before the interruptions start coming over the transom (or through the email, or in your office door).
