When you desire to effectively anticipate needs, you can always think DETAILS.

D – Distribute Time:

We have all been in the place where we walk into our day and we don't know where to begin. There are a ton of important things that need to be done and instead of stepping back and assessing the day, we jump into whatever we see first.  This mindset results in living in what I like to call “The Mode of Reaction.”

At Work - This could look like being stopped in the hallway by a coworker and instead of knowing where you are at and scheduling a meeting with them, you immediately begin troubleshooting instead of working on what is most important.

At Home - You walk into your living room and see there's things that need to be picked up, get sucked into cleaning, and fail to work on something else that is more important and in need of your attention.

While these things can be important and in need of immediate attention, effective planning and distribution of time allows for you to know in the moment what is most important.

For me, one of the keys to success at work and at home is developing The Practice of Anticipation versus The Mode of Reaction. The Mode of Reaction looks different in different areas of life, but it always produces the same fruit - ineffectiveness.  Living in “The Mode of Reaction” allows tasks to dictate what should be done first instead of stepping back and you determining what is best to do next.

When it comes to The Practice of Anticipation, both in the home and at work, the key is effectively planning your day and proper distribution of time. This is more than just knowing what things need to be done around the home and what meetings are on the calendar.   It is also having awareness and thinking through every task that is on your radar.  For some, this will sound time consuming - and with lives that are already busy, it is difficult to find extra time to plan and assess.

Here are three easy steps to start effectively distributing your time and planning your day.

1. Brain-Dumps

Once a month I will dump all of the things that need to be done and I want to see accomplished.  There are several different ways this can be done, it is best to find out what works best for you and is easiest to replicate.  You can simply grab a piece of paper and pen and begin writing down ideas and tasks.  If you use a day timer, you can list out your thoughts on a page designated for notes.  Or there are several apps that are great for task management (Todoist is a great free app for task management.  I also use Google Calendar to share dates with my husband).  This will probably seem overwhelming at first, as you will likely have 50+ things on the list.  However, as you move forward with this practice consistently, it will be maintained instead of being a time consuming project.  Your brain dumps will only take a few minutes as you do them more and more.

2. Scheduling Tasks Forward

After you have dumped all of the ideas and tasks that need to be done, assign days to them  and figure out the reality and priority of getting them done. (The Day Designer is a great planner that I use for daily tasks.)

Wherever you are at in life, it is best to determine what is most important.

Here are some examples of what I determined to be most important for me in the home and at work.

Home - When I am at home, the most important thing is making sure that my son is invested in and taken care of.  This means that some things need to be scheduled during nap times. Just because something on my task list is important doesn't mean that it is done first.  It may require scheduling it during a time when you will be uninterrupted.  

Work - Work is the same idea - I had determined that what is most important is people.  So when I was figuring out when you I was going to get something done, I wanted to make sure I was allowing time to check in with my team. If there were tasks that I needed uninterrupted time to complete, I would come in early, schedule time in a coffee shop, or stay late.

3. Allowing Margin

Don't set yourself up to be frustrated by interruptions.  Things happen and more important things will always come up and require you to reschedule your day.  That is why it is important to allow margin when you are scheduling things.  You will want margin in your day which will allow for adjustments during your day. You will also want to allow margin for projects - this is especially true if projects involve other’s contributions.  If something needs to be turned in no later than Friday, you want to schedule margin to allow for adjustments and unforeseen roadblocks.

I have found that at the end of every day it is best to take a moment to reassess for tomorrow.  This keeps you from having to pour all of your energy into scheduling your day at the beginning.  You can go to bed with a clear head, knowing what you can realistically expect for the day.

Let me know if you have found ways that help you as you distribute and manage your time. I can't wait to hear from you!

|  Credits: Author - Jacintha Payne; Photography - Calvin and Jacintha Payne  |

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