If it isn’t working, fix it
All of the ideas you see on Sunday Night Success are fluid and forming during real time. Recently I have made my weekly action setting process flexible by introducing three changes:
1. Doubling the number of actions on the list.
2. Varying the priority/importance of the actions.
3. Adding actions as needed throughout the week.
Doubling the number of actions on the list
Each week I place ten actions on my list, but my goal is to accomplish five of them. Choice is important. By doubling the number of actions on my list I give myself choices in what I will accomplish each week. As my week progresses and different challenges arise it may not be possible to complete some of the items on my list. The extra actions I add allow me to switch my plan for the week, start working on a new action, and still finish my goal of five actions. Any actions I complete above five are a bonus, and any remaining actions move onto the list for the following week.
Varying the priority/importance of the actions
There is only so much energy and time I can commit to working on my action list each week. To ensure that I have enough energy and time to achieve my various actions I try to make sure that I limit the number of high priority, high importance, or time sensitive items on my list to four. The remaining six actions on my list are of low importance, are not time sensitive, or are simple tasks that need doing. This mix allows me to adjust the amount of energy I need to put into my actions each day; on a high energy day I will focus on my priority actions, on a low energy day I focus more on the task-like actions.
Adding actions as needed throughout the week
During the week I sometimes find that one of the items I have put on my list was not necessarily the next action I needed to take towards a certain goal. Or, something comes up during the week that I did not have on my list, but needs to be done. I deal with these items by adding the action to my weekly list. By adding this new action to my list I am reminded that it needs to be done and I become accountable for completing it. Also, by putting it on my list, when I do complete it, I get to check it off as a completed action, putting me closer to my weekly goal of completing five actions and helping me build momentum for the next week.
Have fun
The point of weekly action setting is to add value to your life, not increase stress levels and affect your life negatively. If, at any point, your weekly action setting system isn’t working for you then change it. The ideas listed in this post are changes I have made to my weekly action system because, before these changes, the system was not supporting me. Over time, the action setting system at Sunday Night Success will continue to evolve in an attempt to provide the best support it can in helping people to achieve the things they desire most.
Now it’s your turn, I would love to know how you adjust your action setting system to cope with challenges during your week.
Why have I made my weekly action setting flexible? Check out last week’s post for the answer.
Question for you, Jeremie:
Do you ever feel overwhelmed/bummed with all you mark to accomplish in a week, knowing it’s double the realistic amount? I do the opposite & underestimate because, well, it makes me feel good to cross everything off of my list & add to it. It’s also a way to build in some “me time” – as in, “I did everything on my list – time for me!”
Michelle,
Putting double the amount on my list has given me a feeling of empowerment. By putting double the amount on my list but only wanting to get five done I always make my goal of getting five actions completed. Usually, I end up getting more than five done because I have “extras” on the list to start working on once I finish the five I expected to finish.
When I only put the minimum number of actions on my list I was running into a problem when something happened in my week that prevented me from doing one of those actions. I felt like I fell short because I was unable to finish that action, even though in my head I know it may not have been my fault.
With extra actions on my list, if something prevents me from doing one action, I just switch gears and work on something different on my list. I am always in forward motion each week BECAUSE I put more actions on my list. I am never stuck because there is always something on my list I am capable of doing.
This also works for me because I make sure that everything on my list isn’t a huge item. Some of them are very simple and easy to do. These are actions I can still accomplish if my week gets busy, but aren’t a huge loss if I don’t get around to them that specific week.
A friend of mine was a bit skeptical of my system, until last week when he only managed to get half the items on his list done. He was surprised by how great he felt that he got half of them done, and would get to the other half later.
Another friend of mine has the same difficulty you seem to with thinking about trying this. She is afraid that if she doesn’t check each action off then she will feel like she has failed.
I guess it is all a matter of perspective: I have shifted my perspective to 50% action completion being a win instead of 100%. 100% wasn’t working for me so I tried something new, and it turns out, it works great for me.
All I can suggest, as this is getting long (can you tell I like talking about this stuff?) is give it a try and see if it feels right for you. Just make sure that you give yourself a nice mix of actions for the week: some high energy some low energy, some complex some simple. Finish as many as you can for the week but set yourself a goal that is less than the number of items on your list.
Let me know if it works or not. Like I said in my post, each of us will find support in a different method.
Thanks for the reply Michelle, as always you get me thinking,
Jeremie
Great post there Jeremie,
I love your idea of “underpromising & overdelivering” amidst so much flexibility. I used to write “things to do” on daily basis, then found it was too overwhelming coz I get immersed on so many daily routines that usually don’t count. I then shifted to listing ‘things to do’ over the coming month which allowed me so much more flexibility that I eventually lose sight. Why didn’t I think of a weekly basis thing?
Great idea & very systematic. This what I call “dealing with real core life issues practically”. Thanks.
Keep up
Dania,
Thank you for the comment. It is funny the quote “underpromise and overdeliver” has played a big part in my life lately, and made a huge difference to how I operate. I am pretty much always early on my deliverables these days, and people are impressed.
I never thought of the quote in relation to my action setting but you are totally right. I am underpromising and overdelivering to myself each week and that may just be why it feels so great!
Jeremie
I love the idea about the prespective change to 50%. I always have a tone of thing on a to do list and never get them finished. I usuaaly underestimate the amount of time it takes to do them. The idea of changing the “success” of the list to 50% is a wonderful way of accomplishing what I want and adding the fleibility into my days. Thanks!
Celina,
I think it is amazing how much more we can accomplish when we don’t have pressure hanging over our heads. Setting your “win” at 50%, for me, really took that pressure away and made achieving my actions more relaxed and enjoyable.
I hope it works for you as well!
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