Get SET for a massive productivity boost
If you want to go from overwhelmed about your tasks to getting it done like a productivity professional, you need some Strategic Expert Thinking. Use this process for prioritising your projects, making time for the things you actually care about, and feeling motivated as you do the work.
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Get the SET List for Weekly Tasks immediately when you join Hold That Thought — the weekly newsletter for insights worth sharing.
Feel good about what you do, every day
The Strategic Expert Thinking (SET) Lists are more than simple templates for organising your daily tasks and projects. It’s part of a process for clearing your mind, focusing on what’s important, and learning from yourself about what you need to be able to do your best work. Over time, the SET lists will also surface all of your mental and emotional hurdles, and help you get over them.
The process itself I learned from a fellow coach who specialises in procrastination, Cristina Roman. She teaches these tools and much more in an 8-week intensive program called Half-Finished to Done. As a graduate from the program myself, I can wholeheartedly recommend it for those of you who want an all-out kickass course on overcoming procrastination and its related productivity gremlins.
I developed these templates based on what I learned from Cristina and I’ve added my own bits from my experiences in Project Management and Design Thinking. As an ethical researcher, I believe that good things worth knowing are worth freely sharing, so I’m offering these lists to you. Take what’s useful and make them your own.
The first template is a SET List for Projects. This is where you’ll get every activity, task, or project out of your head and into a list, so you can see exactly how much you’ve got going on up in that busy brain of yours.
Then you’ll come up with compelling reasons for every item, so that you remind yourself of why this is important to you. Compelling reasons can be especially important when you’re feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated, or simply distracted.
Next, you’ll triage the list and decide if you’re going to Do, Dump, Delegate or Delay the item.
This process creates clarity about your priorities. It frees up headspace to focus on what’s important. And sets you up for productive days ahead.
The second template is a SET List for Weekly Tasks. This template walks you through each week, prompting you to answer these five questions to ensure your productivity success:
What results do I want to create by the end of the week?
What tasks do I need to do to create those results?
How much time do I give each task?
Where on my calendar should I put each task?
How can I ensure I show up to each task to the best of my ability?
By following this process, you’ll know exactly where your time goes, you’ll create more time for what you care about, and you’ll make the most of the time you create. Most importantly, you’ll feel good about yourself, week after week
Are you SET for the week ahead?
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