I’ve been trying on a new mindset these past few weeks, and I’m liking it.

Instead of listing what I need To Do, I write what I want To Accomplish.

It may seem like a small difference, but it’s had a big impact on my productivity. I have shifted from using my dedicated work blocks to ‘work on something’ to using that time to ‘achieve X.’ Let me give you an example.

I usually spend a day and a half each week on business development activities: making calls, having meetings, following up with people, writing proposals, etc. The work is well organised, and I just chug through it.

Two weeks ago I decided to set a couple of targets for myself instead of just working through the list. On my task list I wrote:

1. Secure 5 high-level meetings
2. Close 3 sales

Under these goals were lots of the usual, everyday tasks, but these two stayed at the top to grab my attention first.

Having specific outcomes for the business development time blocks forced me to concentrate my efforts on the most important opportunities. Rather than working through the list in a chronological order or similar, I started with the most significant relationships and the clients most likely to make a commitment soon.

The results? I exceeded both of my targets within 5 days. I also got through everything else on my regular ‘to do’ list.

I’ve been doing this with other sorts of work as well. Instead of listing a task that said, ‘new website pages,’ I would write something like ‘complete 3 website pages’…and by golly, in just a few days I had whole site done – faster than expected!

If the proof is in the pudding, this strategy seems to be a good one. It makes a lot of sense; after all, if we don’t know exactly what we’re shooting for, how will we know when we’ve hit it?

Give it a try, and do let me know how it works for you.

Filed under: To Do Lists