Mark Forster

Never take even the simplest action without writing it down first.

How to get everything done by doing it tomorrow

Put all the work that you are behind on in backlog folders (email, paper, etc.) and put it where you can’t see it.
Collect all your incoming work during the day and deal with it in one batch the following day. Group together similar activities like email, paper, phone calls and tasks. Aim to clear the lot every day.
If anything is too urgent to leave to the following day, write it down on a separate list and action it at a convenient time during the day. Never take even the simplest action without writing it down first.
Spend some time on clearing the contents of the backlog folder(s) first thing every day. When you’ve finally cleared them, find something else you want to get sorted and start doing that first thing every day instead

sometimes feels as if it is easier to get other people to do what we want them to do than it is to get ourselves to do what we want to do

Is my health the way I want it to be?
Is my fitness the way I want it to be?
Is my weight the way I want it to be?
Is the way I am dressed the way I want it to be?

It may be that you are healthy, fit, slim and well-dressed. In which case have a look round at the state of your office or workplace:

Is it as well organised as you want it to be?
Is it as tidy as you want it to be?

Do all your office systems (filing, invoicing, correspondence, etc.) work the way you want them to work?

What one is always aiming for is to make it easier to do the right thing than the wrong one. Is it easier for you to fill in your tax return than not to fill it in?

Resistance to doing a task is largely a matter of the reactive brain seeing the task as a threat.

The easiest way to do this is for you to pretend to yourself that you are not going to do the task

A phrase such as ‘I’m not really going to write that report now, but I’ll just get the file out’ will cause the reactive brain to switch the resistance off.