Master the art of keeping to your own agenda.

Written on the 27 April 2018 by Janet Culpitt

Keeping to your own agenda.

It sounds simple enough - but if we're honest, most of us struggle on a weekly - sometimes daily - basis to stay committed to our own to-do lists.

It can be surprisingly easy to get distracted by the urgent priorities of others and neglect important activities that we have identified to ensure our own personal progress and development.

Whether you feel indebted to others, simply want to help solve problems or find it difficult to master time-management - there is a range of reasons we tend to put our agendas to one side.

But setting and keeping to your own agenda is a crucial key to your personal and overall business success.

Your to-do list may look different to others - whether friends, family, business colleagues or bosses - and that's okay. It's important to identify your personal style of working,

and to harness it for maximum results.

It's about daily learnings, but here are some of the practical ways I have mastered the art of keeping to my own agenda for best results - in my personal and business life.

1. Identify your MIT's.

I take the time to identify my daily MIT's - Most Important Tasks. I highlight them every day on my to-do list and commit to addressing them on that day. It might be that I complete the tasks,

or simply get an initial start on them - regardless, I ensure that I address them one way or another.

2. Set aside a definitive time period.

I set a time period aside daily to address my MIT's - no matter what. This focused, uninterrupted time - whether 30, 60 minutes or more - is crucial for me to keep my agenda moving forward.

I try to plan this period before or after client phone calls, and divert personal calls to minimise distraction and stay committed.

3. Plan in advance!

Planning is key. Whether you're a mum and need to plan your meals or workout schedule well in advance - or working in business and need to structure your meetings and

client calls to best suit your agenda for the week - planning is essential. Knowing your MIT's is one thing - but planning uninterrupted time to execute them is another step in itself -

and just as vital to keeping things moving.

4. Be disciplined.

If we aren't disciplined, we can let every email, every unplanned phone call and every knock on our office door distract us from our agenda. These actions, not a part of our MIT's,

can make our daily to-do list longer and longer. Practice discipline - getting your MIT's done and out of the way before attending to other unplanned needs.

We need daily flexibility to navigate the unpredictable aspects of our work and personal lives - but with a commitment to setting and keeping to our own agenda as much as possible

- and careful planning - we can take the necessary steps to ensure progress and success.

 

 

Janet Culpitt | Master Networker | Connection Expert 
jc@janetculpitt.com.au | 0418 781 657 | janetculpitt.com.au