Don't Forget! section
The Don't Forget section is for the smaller tasks you must remember to do, but that are not part of major tasks or projects in your key areas. Sooner or later, they get urgent.
Don't forget division is for small one-off tasks,
- Which do not take much time
- Which do not need follow-up
- Which require little energy
- Which can be done any time
Examples of minor one-off tasks: reading an article, making an appointment with the dentist, tidying up a cabinet, ringing for training course prospects, returning a book, sending a thank you letter.
Important!
The more of these you have, the more difficult it is to set priorities. You run a greater risk of getting sidetracked and controlled by the sequence of events.
You will be more organised if you use your Don't forget instead of loose paper scraps.
How to use the Don't forget section
Get used to making a note of minor tasks in the Don't forget section instead of sending yourself an e-mail message - as soon as they occur. It saves you from trying to remember them.
Do your minor tasks:
• When gaps occur in your day, i.e. short intervals which cannot be otherwise occupied.
• When your energy is low, i.e. when you do not feel able to start a new, major task.
• When the risk of being interrupted is high. When it is difficult to continue working undisturbed.
You will be able to get minor tasks done without losing track of the overall goals and without breaking up the periods when you concentrate on your major, important tasks.
Go through your Don't forget section regularly. If a minor task is becoming urgent, add it to the daily plan by entering a start date.
If a minor task has to be done on a specific day, transfer it to the tasks section of the daily calendar by adding a start date.
Sequence of tasks
The sequence in which people do their various tasks has a major impact on the quantity and quality of their achievements.
It is tempting to start the day by doing a few minor tasks – "to get them out of the way" or to "warm up". But doing so can easily break an otherwise uninterrupted period of time. This breaks the day down so that only minor tasks get done.
Approach your tasks from the other end. Whenever possible, take the major, demanding tasks first and fit the small tasks into "the gaps": after you finish a major task, before you start a new major task, before you go to lunch or right after you are back, etc.
You can only do this if the minor tasks are easy to find and not mixed up with lots of other tasks – or even e-mails.
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