Some time ago I read a bestseller. It should be noted that this is one of the most visited blog pages. I really liked Covey's thoughts on time management and even wrote an email to Alpina Publisher, briefly outlining the idea of preparing a planner based on the book (this was in 2012). But it turned out that such a diary had already been written by Covey himself. This is a great gift for anyone who likes Covey's ideas.
Diary: Stephen Covey Method. – M.: Alpina Publisher, 2015. – 376 p. + insert 56 pp.
Download the abstract (summary) in the format or
HOW TO USE THE DAILY BOOK
The diary consists of a main part and a tab. The main part contains sheets for daily planning. With their help, you can control your priority tasks for every day. At the bottom of each page you will find a quote dedicated to one of the seven skills, taken from the bestselling book by Stephen Covey The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
The tab, made of thick paper, contains sheets for weekly and monthly planning: weekly compass and planning. You can separate the weekly compass sheets (perforated for this purpose) and use them as bookmarks so you can always see your weekly priorities as you plan each day. The tab also contains a goal and value planning worksheet, as well as a table of annual expenses and income.
INTRODUCTION TO PLANNING GUIDELINES
Time management. You hear this term all the time, but what does it really mean? How, exactly, should you “manage time”? Can you manage him or yourself within a certain period that you have every day? By purchasing a diary, you have taken the first step towards more effective management of time and your life. A daily planner will help you focus on what matters most and experience greater success in achieving the goals that matter most to you. This planning guide will give you the boost you need!
The diary is modeled after Benjamin Franklin’s “little book,” which he carried with him, wrote down his values, goals and plans in it, then tracked his successes (see). We've transformed this idea into a tool that, combined with learning from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, helps people use their time more wisely so they can focus on what's most valuable. A planning guide will help you identify your priorities and plan accordingly.
ACHIEVEMENT OF PRIORITY GOALS
Benjamin Franklin had a three-step method for planning and implementing his goals that began with values. He first identified them, then prioritized them and refined each one. The productivity pyramid model (Figure 1) shows four steps to help you focus your time on what you value most and what you want to achieve in life—your highest priority goals. Let's take a closer look at each of these stages.
Rice. 1. The Productivity Pyramid
If you don't create your own life plan, chances are you will fall into someone else's plan. What do you think they have planned for you? A little.
Jim Rohn
Step 1: Define Values
Values are at the base of the productivity pyramid because our values represent what matters most to us. They are the source of our desires and help determine where to direct our energy. Our values must be the driving force behind literally everything we do. If this does not happen, it means that there is a crack in the base of the monument of our life - our personal pyramid, which can lead to instability of the entire structure.
Step 2: Set goals
A wonderful life is created and built in stages, like a pyramid. Do you think the ancient Egyptians started construction without any design? Goals are a kind of blueprint for your life. Let's find out how to bet effectively. Identify and number each goal. Describe in detail what each of them is and what is required to implement it. Set a time frame for each goal that will help you measure your success. Share big goals.
Break your goal down into steps and tasks and number them. For example, how much money does it take to buy the house you describe? How do you expect to earn them? Maybe your first step is to learn new job skills that will help you get a promotion.
Helpful Hint: On your goal planning sheet, write them down so that you can clearly see how to achieve them. For example, instead of writing something abstract (say, “I want to be more compassionate”), write something more specific and measurable (for example, “I will volunteer for a charity”). Use daily pages and monthly planning. Review your goals and decide when you will complete each individual task.
If your long-term goal is to own a home, then as a first step you can start saving $200 a month for a down payment. (This should be written on your goal planning sheet.) Write: “Arrange for a direct transfer of $200 from your checking account to your savings account.” Or if you already know the day you want to complete a task, write it down on your list of priority tasks for that day. If any of these tasks are not yet necessary or impossible to complete, write them down on your to-do list for the next months.
Step 3: Plan Weekly
Because we don't know what is really important to us, everything seems important. Because everything seems important, we have to do everything. Unfortunately, other people see us doing everything, so they expect us to do everything. With everything we do, we are so busy that we don't have time to think about what is really important to us.
Unknown author
Have you ever experienced something similar? Most of us have had to at some point. The Time Management Matrix is a tool designed to help you understand how you spend your time (Figure 2). This is a tool that will change your way of thinking and help you filter out meaningless urgent tasks.
Rice. 2. Time management matrix
The Time Management Matrix model was developed as part of Stephen Covey's bestselling book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Using the concepts of importance and urgency, Covey realized that all of our daily activities can easily be divided into four categories: important and urgent, important but not urgent, urgent but unimportant, and unimportant and not urgent. The time management matrix is divided into four squares. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Quadrant I, or the Square of Necessity, contains tasks that are both urgent and important. Square III is a deceiver square. It contains urgent tasks that often seem important, but in reality are not. Often these are other people's priorities. Square IV is the square of waste of time and excess. This includes TV abuse! If you stay out of Quadrants III and IV, you will have more time for Quadrant II activities. Quadrant II, the Quadrant of Productivity and Balance, contains important but not urgent activities. What activities would you classify as Quadrant II?
The thick horizontal line you see in the time management matrix separates the important from the unimportant. If you live north of this line, in Quadrants I and II, your life will be more productive and balanced. That's the whole point!
To spend more time in Quadrant II, you need to schedule things weekly. You proactively plan how you will spend your time, rather than reacting to what happens.
As you begin your weekly planning, it's important to keep three things in mind. First, the plan must be made before the week begins. Secondly, you may find it easiest to do this in a quiet place. And thirdly, plan 20-30 minutes for this process.
Use the weekly compass card included in your planner. This tool, like a real compass, will help you stay on track and show you the direction throughout the week. Reach out to him often to remind you what's really important.
Three Steps to Weekly Planning
1. Review your roles. The first step in weekly planning is to review your roles. Don't forget about yourself! This is the role of Sharpen the Saw and its four dimensions as outlined in the Compass (physical, social-emotional, intellectual, spiritual). Please be aware that your roles may change from time to time. There may be weeks when responsibilities in certain roles are minimal. This doesn't necessarily mean you're no longer playing the role - it's just that you're taking a little break this week. You may not be so lucky next week!
2. Choose “large stones” (Fig. 3). The "big stones" are your most important priorities for the week. As you review roles and choose your big stones, ask yourself, “What is the most important thing I can do in this role that will have the biggest positive impact?” Imagine you were given a bunch of rocks - some quite large, some small - and asked to fill a bucket with as many as you could. The best way to fit all the stones is to place the large ones first and then let the smaller stones fill the space around them. Compare this image to your week. Organize the most important tasks first, and then the less important ones around them. And what is the result? Increased productivity and focus on the things that are your highest priority.
Rice. 3. Roles and large stones
Once you have chosen a “big stone” for each role, write it down. You may not always have a "big rock" for every role, and you may have more than one "rock" for a particular role. Don't forget the "Sharpen the Saw" role! Some of the “big stones” you choose may represent appointments or tasks for the week.
3. Make a schedule for the week. Place the “big stones” first and then fill in the gaps with the rest. The power of weekly planning is to distribute the “big stones” first, before the small ones fill your week - and they will! “Big Rocks” can become meetings and tasks, or become the focus of the week. Personal development tasks that cannot be included in the schedule, such as “Listen carefully,” remain on the weekly compass card as a reminder. Now is a good time to look at your goals, as there may be items in them that you might want to include in your weekly schedule. Most "big stones" are Quadrant II (important but not urgent) type of tasks. Once you've set your schedule and the week has begun, don't let other urgent but less important things take their place. This is important for staying in control, being productive, and feeling calm throughout the week.
Step 4: Plan Daily
We've reached the top of the productivity pyramid! Take five to ten minutes every morning to plan your day. As with weekly planning, there are three important steps in daily planning:
- Check today's arrangements. Agreements are promises to yourself or others to devote a certain amount of time to something. Since you've already allocated it to your schedule, you'll have to plan the rest of your tasks for the day around it. Therefore, it is logical to start every day by checking the agreements.
- Make a realistic list. The list does not have to be filled from top to bottom. A list that is too dense can become overwhelming and make you feel out of control because you have no room for flexibility or spontaneity. Instead, after checking your daily arrangements, determine the number of hours you have available, and then assign a reasonable number of tasks that you can complete in that time (Figure 4).
- Set your priorities (ABC, 123). By doing this, you determine the value and order of the items on your list, which allows you to avoid wasting time on things that are not valuable to you or sacrificing the most important things in your life in favor of less important things. You have a great opportunity to determine where to focus your attention and energy.
Rice. 4. Daily planning
It is easy to create a list of priorities using the ABC principle, 123. A, B and C indicate the value of each task, and 1, 2 and 3 indicate the order or sequence in which you will complete these tasks. Finally, on each planner page, above your list of prioritized tasks for the day, you'll find icons to help you easily track your progress on each task. You'll find signs there that indicate the task has been completed, forwarded, deleted, assigned to someone else, or is in progress (Figure 5).
Rice. 5. Track progress on each task
VALUES/MISSION
Are you living in accordance with your core values? Are you aware of what they are? Do you have enough time to clearly define them for yourself and honestly ask yourself how you plan your life based on them?
These questions seem simple, but they require some thought. In this section, you will use suggested actions to think about what gives you the greatest joy in life. What follows are several activities that will help you understand your values and roles. These activities will help you accumulate ideas until you are ready to write your own Personal Mission Statement.
Action 1: Clarify values. The first activity will help you identify your values and write positive, clarifying statements about yourself and your values. Your interpretation of value doesn't have to be exactly the same as someone else's. For you, honesty may mean “I never lie,” but for someone else it may mean “I am honest and can be trusted in personal matters and business.” When you clarify your values, they become more real to you. When you write clarifying statements, be sure to use positive expressions such as “I am,” “I do,” “I will.”
Think about the things you value most, such as honesty, adventure, or balance, and use the worksheets in the Activity 1: Values tab to write them down. Other possible values may include, but are not limited to:
- Personal integrity
- beauty
- Love
- Patience
- Career
- Compassion
- Courage
- Teamwork
- Respect
- Education
- Good physical form
- Gratitude
- Loyalty
- Spirituality
Once you have identified and clarified your values, you are ready to define your roles.
Action 2: Identify and define your roles. Most people's focus is on a few major areas of their lives. For example, as a parent, runner, and project manager, you will have goals related to family, athletic achievement, and career. The roles represent these different areas. A role is a primary relationship, area of responsibility, or contribution. As you think about your roles in life, consider the following four examples:
Victor: comrade, guardian, volunteer, employee.
Maria: wife/mother, dentist, PTA member, artist.
Dmitry: leader, assistant, account manager, friend, civic leader.
Mikhail: husband/father, manager, coach, owner, researcher.
Roles reflect the relationships that are important to you and the major responsibilities or characteristics that relate to each other. By identifying and writing down your roles, you can imagine how you would like to play each one. For example, if you have a spouse role, its main characteristic might be support. You will start thinking about how you would like to behave, what you would like to achieve, etc.
Use the Activity 2: Roles worksheets to list your roles and the key people involved in each role. For example, children will be associated with the role of parent. Finally, write down a clarifying statement that will define the ideal performance of this role. Once you're done, you'll be ready to move on to the types of activities that will help you write your Personal Mission Statement.
Actions 3-6. These four activities will help you write your Personal Mission Statement. What do you value: career, relationships, free time? It's time to brainstorm. Below are four types of actions that will help you.
- Activity 3: Initial questions.
- Action 4: Be, do, have.
- Action 5: What would you like to hear about yourself.
- Activity 6: Assessment questions.
Each type of action helps further clarify what you value and want to include in your life plans. There are brief instructions at the top of each worksheet. Once you have completed describing activities 1–6, you will be prepared to write your Personal Mission Statement.
Action 7: Personal Mission Statement. Now that you've considered all the things you value most and determined how you want to spend your time, you're ready to write your Personal Mission Statement. Your personal mission statement is a written proclamation of who you are and what kind of person you are. It should reflect everything you want to do in your life, what you want to do and what kind of person you want to be. Your Personal Mission Statement is a statement of your highest priorities that you have identified through previous activities.
A personal mission is not something you can write in an evening. It requires deepening into oneself, careful analysis, thoughtful expressions and many revisions in search of the final version. It may take weeks, even months, before you are completely satisfied with the results achieved and feel that you have achieved a comprehensive and concise statement of your deepest values and aspirations. Even then, you will return to what you wrote regularly, making some adjustments as your views and circumstances change over the years.
Stephen R. Covey. "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"
PERSONAL OBLIGATIONS
When a rocket is launched into space in the first minutes, it consumes more energy than during the next few days of flight over a distance of almost a million kilometers. Like gravity, habits pull us towards the earth. Often the hardest part of breaking a bad habit or getting used to an effective skill is the first effort. The following tips can help you during the take-off stage when you change your habits:
- Break down a task or goal into several small, achievable goals.
- Share your successes with someone who can help and support you.
- If you fail, start over immediately.
The most important part of achieving success in mastering the seven skills is your commitment to take action. Please take some time to make a promise to yourself to succeed and keep it.
I, ________________________________________
__________________________________________
I promise that:
- I will read everything that I decided to read, and I will do everything that I decided to do;
- I will spend some time each week putting into practice the principles and skills I have learned.
Signature _____
Date of_________
Rice. 6. Diary page view
As I told you earlier, over the summer I managed develop and implement your own diary (planner). Now I’m testing it to make all the adjustments and send it to print with peace of mind. I decided that my planner would not only be a place for planning, but also inspirer, motivator and assistant in achieving your goals! Therefore, his very first turn - "Wheel of Life", which I will talk about in more detail today.
"Wheel of Life" is a tool that allows you to assess satisfaction in the eight most important areas of life: health and sports, family and personal life, career and business, finances, environment, personal development, creativity and spirituality, brightness of life. The wheel makes it very easy to find "sagging" spheres , which interfere with progress in all others, because they are all connected and are parts of one thing - your life.
“Only when your wheel of life is round can you move harmoniously through life. But if you have failures somewhere, this is exactly what prevents you from being effective in other areas” (to nigga)
My planner has two such wheels - one at the beginning, the second at the end, so that in a year it will be possible evaluate your progress ) This exercise opened my eyes to what was hindering my movement. The wheel helped set goals for each area and realize what needs to change.
You can assess your satisfaction in the areas of your life right now - you need a pen, paper and 15 minutes of free time so that no one distracts you (it’s an exciting thing, but it can drag on)):
- Draw a circle in the middle of the sheet and divide it into 8 parts.
- Name each lobe respectively - health and sports, family and personal life, career and business, finances, environment, personal development, creativity and spirituality, brightness of life.
- Rate each area on a ten-point scale: the center of the circle is zero, the edge of the circle is 10. My family and personal life are in the lead, and in second place is creativity. You, too, may get something far ahead - these are the areas of life that are your priority.
- Now, clearly seeing my weak points, write goals for each area, paying attention, first of all, to sagging ones. Here, indicate all the tasks that you need to complete to achieve these goals. In the diary, I also allocated several pages for a general to-do list so as not to forget anything, but that’s a completely different story - I’ll tell you about organizing lists a little later)
Hi all! A week has passed and today in the “sort of first issue” of the weekly, I will give you, although not a lot of information, it is very useful.
So today in the release:
1. We summarize the results of the competition for a new name for the weekly.
2. How to correctly write posts on your blog article
3. SEO optimization of content. Useful video from Andrey Kambulov.
Competition for a new name for the weekly
1st place was taken by Kucherenko Vadim Sergeevich with the title “Weekly of tips for achieving success in online business” 13.48%, he won Running his website through the TOP directory database and advertising in the mailing list. I just received updates to the TOP database yesterday.
2nd place was shared by the names “Infobusiness Workshop” 11.35% from Valery Vladimirovich Khvalev (prize “Development and installation of a template for a customer’s design on Joomla or WordPress) and “Your own Webmaster” from Natalya Georgievna Lodygina 11.35% (prize “Development and installation of a template according to the customer’s sketch on Joomla or WordPress)
I will contact the winners tomorrow and we will start working on fulfilling orders.
Thanks to everyone who took part in the competition! I think we will hold such draws more often, we are planning the next one for the New Year.
So those who did not have time to participate and did not win have every chance to receive the following prizes, and they will be much higher!
And let's move on to the next topic.
How to write posts on your blog correctly
Before you start, you need to clearly understand that high-quality text content is the basis for website promotion. No amount of optimization will save your blog if it doesn’t have good content. But at the same time, it’s impossible to neglect SEO optimization, and it’s even stupid, why not combine these two powerful tools into a single lever that can move any resource from its place to the top of search engines.
So, let's look at the basic rules for writing the right post.
1. High-quality and useful content!
The first goal that any user pursues in his online travels is information that is useful to him. Therefore, not a single web resource can hope for good growth prospects if its content is not of sufficient quality. So content really is the foundation of website promotion, and your main task when developing your project is to lay this foundation so that future success is guaranteed!
2. Unique content, no plagiarism or rewriting!
If we evaluate content, the basis for website promotion, from the position of search services, then the first and indisputable criterion for success in this regard can be considered uniqueness. Moreover, it is worth noting that rewriting is increasingly recognized, so it’s better not to spare any expense and order a copywriter to write it, or take up the production of articles yourself.
It’s better to write less often, but write your own, Any other person’s content is regarded by search engines as plagiarism and lowers your site’s ranking. Unfortunately, I have such a site. I instructed my assistant to fill it. The guy, due to his inexperience, copied other people’s materials and articles there.
Result - Yandex removed all pages from the search except the main one. Now we fill it with unique and write it from Yasha’s support. I’ve already had the opportunity to remove a site from under the AGS, I think it will work.
3. Feed volume
It is also worth remembering that the characters in the main text are sufficient. Here search engines are extremely strict; they believe that if a page is filled with only a few sentences, then there can be no question of usefulness for users. Moreover, this rule applies not only to the main page, but also to all other pages.
Even I can argue that especially, pages with materials should be filled and optimized for low-frequency queries, because these are the pages that bring the bulk of visitors. Enter any low-frequency query into the search, and you will most likely see the main page of any site.
For high-frequency queries, yes, you will see a lot of index pages, but getting a resource to the Top for such queries is oh so difficult and most importantly EXPENSIVE!
So, be sure to think about content of 3-4 thousand characters for each component of your web project. Even if you sit down and add a simple program to the site, you want it to be in the search results, write about how cool it is and how it helped you solve such and such a problem, just don’t copy the description from the official site, because what is that?
Right! Plagiarism! and it’s even worse than if there had been no news at all for this article!
4. Uniqueness of the information offered!
This point should not be confused with the uniqueness of the content.
To better explain the difference, I will give an example.
You, as a frequent visitor to the Virtual Network, probably know that the more interesting the data provided, the higher the popularity of a particular resource will be. Therefore, you need to make sure that all articles are based on unique information of its kind, from which the user could learn something new. And the more valuable your content turns out, the higher your hopes for the success of your entire online platform!
That’s why news portals are so popular now, they publish something new every day, there’s an earthquake, he cheated on his wife, and this one turns out to be a hermaphrodite…. and so on. The example is conditional, but it’s true!
5. Own style of presenting information.
Even the most interesting data will not be in demand if it is wrapped in the wrong frame. Therefore, there is no need to be generous with polysyllabic sentences, rich in many complex and incomprehensible terms. Try to present the essence in such a way that even a child can understand it. After all, the ability to present even complex things in a simple form is worth a lot, and if you have this, you will be able to attract a large number of new guests, as well as build a permanent audience.
A simple example from our Runet. There is a website online that sells educational CDs. Much cheaper than they make it, the same Azamat, Popov, Kambulov and others I won’t list them all. Yes, there the information is conveyed to you by an announcer in a professional, well-trained voice. And the information seems to be on topic, but guys, the fact of the matter is that the announcer doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he stupidly, although he reads the text written to him with expression.
Where is the living thing? oh, ugh, I went in the wrong place!
Material that is presented live and by a guy like you, who also sometimes makes mistakes or forgets terms, is more pleasant to perceive and is absorbed much easier and better. It’s as if you communicate directly, and the person explains the necessary material to you over a cup of coffee.
6. Convenience of content perception!
The content should be designed in such a way that guests do not have difficulty reading it. This means that the fonts you use should be standard, that is, so that the user does not have to recognize the meaning of each character. Also, do not forget that information is absorbed especially well when it is divided into points. But in the absence of such an opportunity, you can simply divide the article simply into paragraphs.
A simple example is this article. I broke it down point by point as best I could.
As for fonts, I had a similar problem on the “Business on the Internet” website. The texts were difficult to read without a magnifying glass and, accordingly, were not perceived by visitors. And to conclude this point, it’s probably worth noting that the color of the font should be radically opposite to the background color.
So, well, in terms of content, that’s probably all. Of course, there is always something to add, and there is no limit to perfection, but I think the main thing is listed.
Now let’s devote a couple of points to optimization and customization of behavioral factors.
What is optimization, I think everyone knows, but here’s what it is “Behavioral Factors” I think it’s worth explaining a little, literally in a nutshell, otherwise the article threatens to never end.
Recently, search engines have begun to pay attention to how visitors navigate your site, how many pages are viewed in one visit, and whether the visitor returns back to your site. Thus, search engines are trying to provide high-quality results for queries and it seems that sites like MFA (made for Adsense) will soon come to an end, although this is not a fact!
7. Link within the article
Relinking is needed so that search engines index your site as deeply and efficiently as possible. I won’t delve into this topic, there is a lot of information on the Internet and there is no point in spreading the oil once again, especially since this goes against our 4th point.
I will only touch on the technical side. It is desirable that at the beginning of the text there is one link to the main page of the resource, and closer to the middle there are several links to previous posts. It should look natural and then the links will be considered relevant to the request.
And also, it would be nice, after publication, to find a suitable old post and write in it a link to the new one.
Try not to waste your traffic and avoid external links. If you really can’t and this link to your resource is really needed, you can use this method
Whoever needs it understands.
9. Offer the visitor similar materials.
Try to ensure that at the end of your posts, the visitor can familiarize himself with similar materials on this topic. This will help raise the behavioral factors of your site in the eyes of search engines. And also invite the visitor to subscribe to your newsletter or RSS feed, so you will return him to your blog more than once, if the content is relevant, of course.
Well, I think I’ve written the main thing. Of course, there are also various nuances, but you can’t cover everything in one post. People make video courses about this, but I wanted to describe it in an article at a time. But we will work, we will look at new nuances and figure it out in our “Weekly Diary of Tips for Achieving Success in Online Business!”
Flexible goal setting (Getting Results the Agile Way) is a fairly simple and understandable system that can and should be used to achieve serious results. It was invented by J.D. Meyer, a Microsoft manager, and has enjoyed undiminished popularity.
This system for achieving goals will help you achieve real results, as it is thought out as follows: The goal of the year determines the goal of each day and, in turn, every day you work towards the common single goal of the year.
There are three key parts of Agile Results:
- Rule of three.
- Monday Plan, Day Results, Friday Review.
- Spheres of influence.
Rule of Three for planning to achieve goals within a 3x3 system:
- 3 goals of the year
- 3 monthly goals
- 3 weekly goals
- 3 TARGET DAYS
Use the Weekly Plan, Daily Results, and Friday Review as a template for your weekly results. Each week, identify three outcomes for the week, then identify three key outcomes you want from each day, and on Friday, identify three things that went well and three things that need improvement.
Spheres of Influence are the most important areas of us and our lives. For example, soul, body, career, leisure, relationships, finances. Determine your key areas of life where you are willing to invest effort to get the maximum return. Start by simply listing them. This way your goals will become clear.
For more information, see J.D. Meyer's 30 Days of Results.
Let's analyze this system using an example goal: become a self-sufficient person.
This is a rather large goal, so initially we will break it down into three goals for the year by type of self-sufficiency:
- Economic self-sufficiency (ES).
- Psychological self-sufficiency (PS).
- Social self-sufficiency (SS).
But first you need to prepare: keep a success diary to see your results and feed the overall goal of the year with new victories every day. These goals should be in front of your eyes so that you can check them and not deviate from the path.
Keeping notes is the best way to imprint your goals into your subconscious mind. The more often you write down your goals, the sooner they will materialize. Writing and rewriting goals further and further convinces you of their achievability. As your confidence and conviction grow, you see possibilities more clearly, which you then transform into realities.
Get an undated diary or regular notebook. Sections should include:
I. Your goals
1. Write down in detail your three goals for the year.
2. Describe the skills you must have to achieve these goals.
3. Describe the habits that you need to eradicate/acquire.
4. Character traits that are worth changing/acquiring.
5. Make a list of references.
6. Find online services with the necessary materials, specialized resources to achieve your goals.
7. Motivational quotes and pictures will also come in handy.
II. The diary itself
1. Three goals of the month, based on the goals of the year - description on a separate sheet before the corresponding month.
2. Three goals of the week, based on the goals of the month and year - description on a separate sheet before the corresponding week.
3. Your day (daily activities):
– write down the day before three goals for the next day, subordinate to the three goals of the week, month, year;
– describe the main success of the day after it has passed and analyze it to repeat it;
– analyze the main defeat of the day – how to avoid it in the future.
4. Results of the week - analysis of successes and defeats (on a separate sheet at the end of the week).
5. Monthly results – analysis of successes and failures (on a separate sheet at the end of the month).
And to always have your annual goals in sight, find a nice cardboard, write them down on it and use this cardboard as a bookmark for your diary.
You can make a success diary in my opinion
Let's return to the example: the goal is to become a self-sufficient person.
You will find it useful (using the example of economic self-sufficiency):
Skills – ability to cook, pay bills, hammer nails, hem curtains, etc.;
Habits – maintain order, follow a schedule, analyze the situation, make quick choices, etc.;
Qualities – self-discipline, willpower, perseverance, determination, responsibility, etc.;
Resources (physical, financial, human) - material source, profession, housing, etc.
We break down the main goal into goals for the year.
Goals for the year (describe each in detail):
1. Economic self-sufficiency (be able to take care of yourself and get by in everyday life without outside help, live separately, manage your finances wisely).
2. Psychological self-sufficiency (be able to make decisions independently, self-discipline, responsibility).
3. Social self-sufficiency (career advancement, self-education, and social circle).
We create subgoals for them:
Three goals of the month:
HS. Learn to cook.
PS. Get rid of the habit of calling (writing SMS) friends for any reason, asking for advice and complaining about life.
SS. Read three books on increasing personal effectiveness and professional level.
Three goals of the week:
HS. Master the preparation of three dishes.
PS. Spend a week without communicating with friends.
SS. Read the book by S. Covey.
Three goals of the day:
HS. Prepare cutlets.
PS. Meditate for 10 minutes.
SS. Read 20 pages of a book, keep a notebook for brief notes on what you read.
Three goals of the month(the goal of the year is to become a self-sufficient person) may look like this:
HS. Learn to cook, work on habits: washing dishes, keeping the room tidy. Keep records of your expenses (keep a notebook for these purposes). Calculate your “consumer basket” and live on 5,000 rubles. per month.
PS. Spend a week without communicating with friends, limit time on social networks to 1 hour, meditate for 10 minutes a day.
SS. Read 3 books on personal effectiveness, get rid of the habit of being late for work, learn and analyze possible prospects for career growth.
But you shouldn’t get hung up on the number three: you can have two goals for the year and ten subgoals for each of them, the main thing is to follow the basic principles of the system - every day take small steps towards the main goal, analyze and analyze the results of the day.
Do you know that the first diary in the form we are familiar with appeared in mass production in Italy in 1650. And it was called “agenda,” which translated means: “What needs to be done.”
Now I will tell you about 15 rules on how to properly keep a diary.
Many people have a diary, but not many know how to use it most effectively. Meanwhile, the ability to use a diary is much more important than what kind of diary you have. Just like the ability to draw is more important than how good the brushes are used.
There are a huge number of diaries on sale on bookshelves, of different colors and styles of crust, but that’s where their differences end. Most of all diaries are lined sheets of paper, in the best case, with the time indicated at the beginning of the left side of the page. Such a diary is not suitable for proper planning; it needs to be improved.
Of course, such a diary will help in planning and is better than stickers or pieces of paper. But, I’ll now tell you how to make a regular diary look like a professional one and how to properly keep a diary. I am sure that for most viewers, these recommendations will help you use your diary more effectively and better plan things both at work and at home.
1. Avoid overly rigid planning
Many people make one very serious mistake when keeping a diary, namely, planning the day too rigidly. Let's take a closer look at what happens if you try to plan every minute of your time.
Let's say we made a plan like this:
from 9 to 10 planning meeting;
from 10 to 11:30 meeting with the client;
from 11:30 to 13:00 preparation of the room. offers;
Now let's think about what will happen to our schedule if the planning meeting drags on for 1 hour? Or will the client arrive earlier than planned? Or you will be asked to urgently prepare a very profitable commercial offer, which will be irrelevant if you do not make it in the next few hours. Of course, it will be possible to react harshly to all unexpected situations in life - leave the planning meeting if it is delayed, tell the client to wait for the scheduled time and inform that you do not have time to prepare a very profitable commercial offer. But with this approach you can very quickly lose your job, business and friendships.
The disadvantage of such overly rigid planning is that it does not take into account force majeure, which are integral in our lives. Besides, it's too a tight schedule depresses our nervous system, if you try your best to keep up, you will have to overextend yourself and end up getting tired faster. Motivation will drop and well-being will deteriorate, because the stricter the schedule is, the greater the deviation from it, which leads to disappointment and negative feelings, as a result of which stress hormones are released into the blood, which can cause headaches, fatigue, depression, irritability and etc.
At the same time, if you don’t draw up an action plan, you can forget about meetings, calls and sit all day doing nonsense due to lack of motivation and desire to get down to business.
What to do?
There is a way out; you need to maintain a balance between flexible and rigid schedules. Without a strict schedule at all, the desire to work less and productivity too. With a very strict schedule, the desire to work is higher, but stress appears, fatigue, irritability and productivity also decreases. Therefore, it is very important to maintain a balance so that you have a rigid schedule where you include things that are time-bound and flexible, which will allow you to work at a comfortable pace in the intervals between tough tasks.
2. Bring it into the required format
Let's start with the fact that in time management, all tasks should be divided according to the degree of importance and urgency. The classic separation scheme consists of 2 columns:
1 Column. Tough tasks, these are things that are tied to time. For example, “meeting at 11:00”, “call client at 15:00”, “swimming pool at 19:00”.
2 Column. Flexible tasks. These are things that are not tied to time; they can be started at any time or postponed to another time. For example: “Sort out the documents on the table”, “prepare a commercial proposal”, “reply by email”, “buy products”, etc.
Why separate pages?
Or maybe not divide the pages in half, but write everything in a row, marking the time next to tough tasks? How do you think? Rigid and flexible matters must be separated. This division of tasks is required so that rigid time-bound tasks do not get lost in a flexible schedule. For example, if you agreed to call a client at 15:00 and in addition to this task there will be 10 more different tasks not tied to time, then you can forget to make this call, since the task will be visually lost among other records.
Often, things on a rigid schedule are more important than those on a flexible schedule, since failure to complete them can have serious consequences, often irreparable. For example, if you don’t call a client on time, you can miss him, because without waiting for the call, the client can turn to another company. And if you don’t make a case for a flexible schedule, then there may not be serious consequences.
In order not to forget all the tough things that are time-bound, they should be separated from the rest, so they will always be in your sight. As I described earlier, most planners are more like lined pages. Therefore, the first change that should be made to finalize the diary is: Divide the pages into 2 columns. The first column is a strict schedule, things are time-bound. The second column is a flexible schedule, tasks that can be done at a convenient time. Something as simple as splitting a piece of paper in half will significantly improve your personal effectiveness.
A very common mistake in time management is to complete tasks by the date of the speech, and not in order of their importance. It doesn’t matter when the task appears, it is important not to start it until more important ones are completed. Therefore, in the flexible schedule column, all tasks need to be assigned a priority. To start working not with small things that will change our lives little, but really with the most important things, on which our future greatly depends.
When you have written down all the flexible tasks in the right column, then before each task put a letter characterizing the importance of the task:
The letter a. Be sure to do it if there are serious consequences if you miss it. For example, “pay taxes.”
Letter B. It is advisable to do it, but in extreme cases you can refuse; if you don’t do it, there will be minor troubles. For example, if you don't fix the washing machine, there will be minor troubles - you may have to wash it by hand, but nothing terrible will happen, just minor troubles. Or if you do not discuss the project with colleagues, then there may be shortcomings, but at the same time they are not critical and there will be time to correct them.
Letter V. It’s a good thing to do; if you don’t do it, there won’t be any unpleasant consequences. For example, “prepare proposals for the development of the company”, “hang a chandelier instead of a light bulb.” If you don't do this, there will be no bad consequences.
As soon as we set a priority next to each task, i.e. letters “A”, “B” or “C”, it will become much easier to determine what is important and what is secondary. As you already understand, when working with a diary, you cannot start tasks from “B” until tasks with priority “A” are completed, and tasks “C” cannot be started until “B” is completed. This simple prioritization of each task can significantly increase your personal effectiveness and you will be able to get more done.
4. Start with a frog
In time management, a frog is an unpleasant name. There is a recommendation to start work with the most unpleasant task. Why? At the beginning of work, as a rule, there is the most energy, so this time is the perfect time to complete the task that requires the most effort. It is the unpleasant things that are the hardest to start, so the working day should begin with a frog, that is, the most unpleasant thing.
Try to start every day with a frog, but only in those cases when you can manage all the more important things than the frog. If you do not have time to complete more important tasks during the day, then give up the frog for today, because an unpleasant task may be less important.
Starting with a frog, you can quickly clean up all the loose ends and shortcomings that have a demoralizing effect on any person. The more you accomplish, the more comfortable you feel.
5. Evening planning
Making a plan for the next day must be done the night before, i.e. the day before. The best time to make plans for tomorrow is at the end of the working day. If at the end of the working day we do not write down plans for the next day, then we will keep these things in our heads and periodically recall them so as not to forget. These are unnecessary thoughts that interfere with relaxation and take away energy, and also reduce mental abilities, because the more the brain is loaded with memorizing information, the fewer resources are left for thinking and thinking about other things.
If we make a plan for the next day in the evening, we will free our brains from unnecessary thoughts and will be able to rest and sleep better. Plan your next day 15 minutes before finishing work.
6. Highlight things
To make it easier to navigate in your diary, highlight important and unpleasant things. The most important things can be circled with a pen to make them stand out from the rest. The most unpleasant task (frog) - also highlight something special in your diary, for example, you can put an exclamation point or the letter “L” next to this task.
These simple steps will make important and unpleasant tasks more visible, which means you will pay attention to them more often and are more likely to do them than others.
7. Cross things off
We get pleasure from doing any task; our brain releases happiness hormones with any positive achievement. The more achievement and work has been put in, the more joy we will feel. But this joy lasts very quickly, a matter of seconds. But we can prolong and enhance this feeling of joy with a very simple action: Crossing things off after they are completed.
When we cross off a task, we become more focused on completing it and therefore experience more satisfaction. Always cross off completed tasks. By the way, the pleasure can be extended if you break the task into several stages and mark the completion of each of these stages.
8. Create reminders
Even if you wrote the matter down in your diary, it is far from a fact that you will remember about it on time. To protect yourself from this, you can additionally create a reminder in the alarm clock on your phone, and write a task in the title. This way, the alarm clock will ring at the right time and you won’t forget about an important meeting, phone call or other time-sensitive matter.
9. Controlling motivation
Even when you write an action plan on a piece of paper, you will already increase the desire to do it and your motivation will grow, just as appetite comes with eating.
You can also influence motivation and desire to work in 2 more ways:
1. To increase motivation, i.e. the desire to work can increase the number of tough tasks, if, of course, the schedule allows. It is very easy to increase the number of rigid tasks tied to time - just select several flexible tasks and indicate the time to work with them. For example, if you need to prepare a financial report, which is flexible, i.e. you can start it at any time, then to increase motivation you can specify the exact time for preparation, say, from 15 to 16, then the desire to complete the work will increase , established deadlines encourage you to get things done.
A milder stimulating factor that will increase motivation to work is setting the time for working on a task without reference to time. For example, next to the task “prepare a financial report,” we indicate the work time, say, 30 minutes. And until we have worked for 30 minutes. on this matter, we will not proceed to other less important matters. The more time restrictions you introduce, naturally within reasonable limits, the more you increase your motivation to work.
2. Decreased motivation. To reduce motivation, you need, on the contrary, to tie as few things to time as possible. If possible, reduce the number of tough tasks, try to work on tasks in a timely manner, and avoid the moment when a matter turns from non-urgent to urgent.
If you are going to a meeting, then try to agree not on the exact time, but on the interval, for example, that you will be there from 15 to 16, of course, in those cases when this is appropriate.
remember, that too strong motivation makes a person irritable, nervous, and does not allow him to enjoy life. Too much weak motivation - will not allow you to achieve the desired results.
10. 50% rule
The rule means that you cannot schedule more than 50% of the time in a rigid schedule. Try not to plan strict time-bound tasks in a row, one after another, but leave a reserve between them, preferably at least 50% of the total amount of free time.
If you plan your entire day minute by minute, then any discrepancy will make it impossible to fulfill the schedule, you will be demoralized and stressed due to the discrepancy between expectations and the actual state of affairs. For example, a meeting with a client may drag on for an extra hour, or a very large customer will call and ask you to urgently prepare an estimate, or you simply feel that you are very tired and need to rest.
If you still have free time between planned rigid tasks (left column), then you can spend it on completing tasks from a flexible schedule (right column), which are no less important, but are not time-bound. By alternating between rigid and flexible tasks, you will be able to manage the most important things in life.
11. Blank pages in the diary
In a traditional diary, space on sheets of paper is limited. A situation may arise when the entire page is already completely covered and there is simply no free space for new information. You can, of course, continue writing for the following days, but this is not the best option, since there may not be enough space for planning the next day. In this case, you should always have a few blank sheets of paper at the end of your diary; they can be attached to the last page with a paper clip.
If it happens that you still need to leave some notes for the current day, and the entire page is already filled in, you can take a blank piece of paper from the end of the planner and attach it with a paper clip or stapler to the current, already filled page and continue writing. In addition to the pieces of paper, you can also store several paper clips at the end of the diary so that, if necessary, you can fix blank sheets of paper on the necessary pages. The sheets themselves can be of any format; they can be prepared by cutting A4 pages or simply folding them into 2 or several layers.
12. Don't clutter your diary
You can often see a situation where people write everything in a diary, for example: descriptions of projects, recipes for dishes, wishes of clients, etc., and when the space on the page runs out, the entries continue several pages ahead, for days that have not yet been written. have arrived. This kind of information house prevents you from using the diary for its intended purpose, because there is no room left for planning the day.
Of course, keeping a diary in a chaotic order is better than not keeping it at all. But if you want to increase your efficiency, then follow the rule: “You cannot write any information for the next day until you have made a plan for that day.” Otherwise, in the most visible place there will be information that will not be needed when setting priorities and will make it difficult to review current affairs. To avoid cluttering your diary when there is a lot of incoming information, simply write it in a different place.
Exception to the rule
If the total number of entries and reference information in your diary does not take up more than 50% of the space on the pages, then the rule described above does not apply to you; you can write any information in the diary if it is convenient for you. Such records will not greatly reduce labor productivity.
But! If you understand that the page in your diary along with reference data will be more than 50% filled, then it is better to write additional information. information in a separate place to stay productive and not lose track of your daily plan.
13. Keep a work folder or notebook
A daily planner is meant to create a plan, do not turn it into a reference book. Keep background information, calculations, and results of negotiations in a separate notebook, not in a diary, as there may not be enough space in the diary. Also, in the diary it is inconvenient to look for entries in the future, when they are useful, since they are sorted not by tasks, but by time, especially for long-term projects, when the information will change in the future. Get yourself a notebook or folder with stapled pieces of paper for such purposes.
14. Set goals in your planner
Setting goals stimulates you to achieve them, so if you set goals, you can achieve what you want faster than if you don’t set goals. Setting a goal once is often not enough, because any information is forgotten over time, including goals, and as a result the speed of achieving what you want may drop. Therefore, goals must be repeated regularly to maintain their strength and desire to achieve at the proper level.
Here are 2 ways to set goals in your diary:
1. Write your goals on a bookmark. Every time you open your planner to the current page using the bookmark, you will see the goals you have written down. Something as simple as writing your goals on a bookmark will boost your motivation and can help you achieve your goals faster.
2. Rewrite goals every day. The essence of the method is that before you start planning your day, write your goals again on the diary page. If the goals are of a personal nature, then you can write them down on a regular piece of paper in a notebook to be sure that no one will see them. Write shit not just once, but rewrite it regularly, for example, every day before starting work.
You will have a question about the rationality of such actions: “Why do the same action and rewrite the goals every day?” I will answer: “When we write, our motor skills are activated and we are forced to ensure that the text on paper is meaningful, and for this, many areas of our brain are activated that are responsible for concentration and coordination.” Moreover, it is preferable to write on paper than on a computer, phone, tablet or other electronic device, since the movements in writing on paper are more complex and allow you to better concentrate on the goal.
By activating the areas of the brain responsible for writing, we automatically turn off other thoughts and think only about what we are writing. In other words, you can read the goals and at this time think about something else, as a result, the result of such reading is close to zero. But if we do not read, but write on a piece of paper, then it is impossible not to think about what you are writing, otherwise there will be scribbles on the paper. If you wrote down a goal on paper, then rest assured that you repeated the goal, but if you read it, then it’s far from a fact.
By the way: Brian Tracy, one of the most popular business consultants, writes in his book that he rewrites his goals every day.
An additional factor that enhances the perception of any information is “speaking out loud”. When we say something out loud, another organ of perception is involved. Speaking out any goal, whether you read it or write it, enhances perception.
And now I will give a table of the effectiveness of various methods of repeating goals:
3. Write on paper - high efficiency.
Important: It’s more effective to make a plan for the next day the night before to free your head and switch off faster. But with goals it is recommended to do the opposite. It is advisable to repeat goals at the very beginning of the day., because repeating goals stimulates you to work. If you repeat goals at the end of the working day, when you write a plan for the next day, then instead of resting in the evening after a hard day, you will think more about work, because repeating goals stimulates these thoughts and you will not be able to rest well.
If you lack motivation, you can repeat goals whenever and as much as you want until your motivation grows to the required level. But too much motivation is also bad because you become irritable, rigid and more susceptible to any failure, in general Excess motivation leads to severe stress, poor mood and well-being. If you overdo it and repeat your goals too often, you can turn into a hunted horse and stop enjoying life.
Back in 1908, psychologists Yerkes and Dodson conducted experiments on mice that needed to complete a maze faster. Motivation in mice was increased by electric shocks. As a result of the experiment, it turned out that excessive motivation caused by strong stress only suffocated the result, because negative feelings appeared, such as fear and pain, and stress hormones were produced, which worsened physiological abilities.
Thus, it was found that there is an average level of motivation that allows you to achieve your goal the fastest. Therefore, remember that excessive motivation leads to stress and irritability. If you already have a lot of motivation, it may be worth repeating your goals less often.
15. Start an electronic diary
Of course, the choice of a paper or electronic diary is a matter of taste, and, of course, there is no arguing about tastes. The choice of a paper diary or an electronic one is largely determined by the type of personality, in particular, the mindset. If you have a technical mind, then an electronic organizer is preferable to a paper one. And if you have a humanitarian mindset, then the paper version is preferable. As you understand, there are exceptions to any rule.
Install an electronic organizer on your phone
Even if you use a paper planner most of the time, a phone will be a great addition and has the following advantages:
- Auto reminder with beep. An organizer on your phone has an undeniable advantage over a paper notebook - it can remind you of an event using a beep melody, but a paper notebook cannot remind you. And since the phone is always with us and a reminder of the event is set, you don’t have to worry about missing what you planned, the sound signal will remind you exactly on time.
Instead of auto-reminder of time-based events in the organizer, you can use a regular alarm clock, signing the task to be completed in the title.
- One-handed operation. To open a paper diary you need 2 hands. But there are situations when you need to look at previously left entries, but 1 hand is already occupied, for example, you are riding in a transport and holding on to the handrail, walking down the street with an umbrella. In such situations, when one hand is busy, it is much more convenient and comfortable to use a phone with an electronic notebook installed.
If you often travel, especially on public transport, transfer some of the tasks on your phone to an electronic organizer.
- Convenience. In many situations, it is inconvenient to take a paper version with you. For example, when you are in a store, at the gym, visiting or on vacation, carrying a diary with you can be very inconvenient. And the phone is very compact and is always with you, it is very easy to take it with you to almost any place, which means you can always be aware of your planned activities.
- Lightening the load and reducing volume. Another advantage of having an address book on your phone is that there is no need to carry a paper version with you, which takes up space in your bag and weighs like a paper book.
- Large amounts of information. The address book on your phone can be used to store large amounts of information. For example, you can copy an entire article, which may be useful in the future, much faster than writing it down. At the same time, more than a hundred books can be stored on the phone, while in paper, the volume is limited by the weight and size of the sheets that you take with you. Also, an important advantage is the ability to very quickly copy all the necessary information. Many electronic organizers have the ability to synchronize with a computer, which allows you to use your phone even faster and more efficiently than the paper version.
- No need to rewrite tasks. If things are not completed in a paper diary, we rewrite them to the next one. An electronic organizer on your phone will allow you to avoid unnecessary actions, because setting a new deadline is faster than rewriting the case again.
- Cases tied to the place. A notebook is convenient for recording things that are time-bound, but there are also things that are tied to a certain place and do not depend on time. As a rule, these are non-urgent tasks that are best done if you are passing near a place where you can do them. This way, you can save a huge amount of time on the road, because you do the necessary things along the way as you pass by.
For example, you need to buy several tools at a hardware store, if the matter is not urgent, then you shouldn’t go to the store right away, it’s better to create a note in your phone: “Things to do at the hardware store,” and as soon as you pass by the hardware store, you can look on your phone what you need to buy. This way you will save time on the road than if you went specifically to this store. Among such cases we can highlight the following: “when I’m at the dacha”, “if I’m in the office”, “when I’m at the grocery store”, etc.
Unfortunately, traditional planners don't have many extra sheets of paper for notes, which means there's little room for keeping a location-based to-do list. Of course, things tied to a place can be written down on separate sheets of paper, but this will also be inconvenient. In most cases, there is no better place to record things tied to a location than on your phone. This is another argument in favor of an organizer on your phone.
- Things related to people. Just like with tasks tied to a place, there are tasks tied to people. For example: “when meeting with Vadim, discuss the progress of work” or “transfer documents when meeting with Lyudmila,” etc. The essence is the same, if the task is not urgent, there is no need to do it right away, it often makes sense to write it down in the diary on your phone and do it then when you are nearby and save time on the road.
Even if you prefer the paper version, try the above recommendations in real life, install an electronic organizer on your phone, these steps can greatly simplify your life. There are a huge number of electronic notebooks that are installed on a mobile phone. I recommend evernote with free synchronization with computer or more advanced Russian analogue of leadertask, but synchronization is paid for.
Practice
Now let's look at these tips in practice. We start making a plan for the next day before the end of the working day in order to clear our head of thoughts by writing them down and have a better rest.
1 Step
Divide the page in half, I'm just drawing a line so that there are areas for rigid and flexible schedules.
2 Step
Let's write down everything things to do, let's start with the hard stuff:
10:30 Meeting;
15:30 Meeting with the client;
18:30 Swimming pool.
Now let's fill out the flexible schedule:
Prepare financial statements;
Pay for Internet;
Parse documents;
Submit the report to the accounting department.
3 Step
Create reminders a very important matter tied to time, so as not to be forgotten in any case. For example, if you want to go to a meeting at 10:20, you can set an alarm on your phone for that time.
4 Step
Let's set priorities for flexible cases (A, B, C):
- A. Prepare financial statements;
- B. Pay for Internet;
- IN. Parse documents;
- A. Submit the report to the accounting department.
5 Step
Let's highlight important and unpleasant things. We circle the important ones with a pen, and put an exclamation point next to the unpleasant ones. Let’s assume that the most unpleasant task is “Parsing documents”, we sign this task with an exclamation mark. And the most important thing, let’s say “Prepare a financial report,” is circled around it.
6 Step
At the end of the daily we will insert a few blank sheets of paper and paper clips, in case the recording page runs out.
7 Step
Writing in an electronic organizer to-do list on the phone tied to place and people. For example, let’s create the following entries: “when I’m at the grocery store,” “when I meet with the boss,” “if I’m in the office,” etc.
8 Step
We repeat the Goals. The plan for the next day has been drawn up, now you can relax after a working day. But in the plan for tomorrow, we have not yet repeated the goals, so as not to start thinking about work when we are resting. Goals will need to be repeated immediately before the start of the working day, i.e. in the morning. So, let's say it's morning, now we open our plan and rewrite our goals at the very beginning to motivate ourselves.
Now that your diary is prepared and your plans are written down, you can begin to work highly efficiently, crossing things off as you complete them.
P.S. If you have difficulties or questions about the article you read, as well as about the topics: Psychology (bad habits, experiences, etc.), sales, business, time management, etc. ask them to me, I will try to help. Consultation via Skype is also possible.
P.P.S. You can also take the online training “How to get 1 hour of extra time.” Write comments and your additions;)
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