reading time, approx. 3 minutes
The day has 24 hours. It is impossible for it to have any more for you. You can easily spend them. Through a daily exercise taking just a few minutes, you might be able to “gain” a few minutes, or even hours…!
Step one: in the morning (or even better, the night before) you draw the following small table on a piece of paper.
Step two: you write down in a list the chores/tasks/obligations you have to do on that specific day, e.g.:
• write a chapter of my assignment
• cook stuffed vegetables
• take my dog, Makis, for a walk
• pay the electricity bill
• call my friend Kostas
• talk to my manager about that pay rise
• pick up my child from school
• take the car for a service, etc.
Step three (and the most essential!): you transfer the items from your list into the 4 boxes formed within the table. This is also the most demanding task for you. Once you have practised it for a while, this process will become automatic.
The top-left box: this is where you write down what is important and urgent! For example, if your car has a serious fault and it worsens as time goes on, thereby increasing the likelihood of higher repair costs while also putting your life at risk, then it is both important and urgent to visit the garage.
The bottom-left box: (Not urgent but important) Here you will write down visiting the garage if your car is approaching the mileage for a service (which is important but not urgent; your car, your wallet and your safety are not at risk).
The top-right box: (Urgent but unimportant) This is the space to write down your electricity bill which is due, it's urgent but it's not the most important thing in your life!
The bottom-right box: (Not urgent, unimportant) this space will help you realise what is neither important nor urgent and is wasting time that you could otherwise dedicate to more creative tasks or to rest and recreation!
Caution! The above methodology can be applied to every single minute of the day! Any activity can be classified in this table. Even your morning shower or drinks with your friends!
Whether something is important or urgent is determined by you and you alone! For example, a bike ride might not be important or urgent today… but after 2 weeks of continuous desk work, it instantly moves to the first box; it is important because it contributes to your health, both physical and psychological!
Step four: τώρα απλά ήρθε η στιγμή να δώσετε προτεραιότητα στο τετραγωνάκι με τα σημαντικά και επείγοντα (αριθμός 1)και να ακολουθήσουν τα υπόλοιπα σύμφωνα με την προτεραιότητα που δείχνουν οι αριθμοί παρακάτω:
Οι παρακάτω ερωτήσεις θα σε βοηθήσουν να ταξινομήσεις τις εργασίες σου:
Τι είναι για μένα σημαντικό στην μέρα μου; Ποιος είναι ο/οι λόγος/οι που το κάνουν σημαντικό; Ποιες είναι οι επιπτώσεις στην ζωή μου εάν δεν το κάνω;
Τι είναι επείγον; Ποιος είναι ο/οι λόγος/οι που το κάνουν επείγον; Τι θα συμβεί εάν δεν το κάνω σήμερα;
Για τυχόν διευκρινίσεις/σχόλια/σκέψεις θα χαρώ να επικοινωνήσετε στην φόρμα του ιστότοπου μου: www.gkekis.gr
Εύχομαι δημιουργικές και ευχάριστες στιγμές!