My alumni ezine used to be a giant pia. Each week it was a mad rush to do the stuff needed to pull it together. “Getting Things Done” says to focus on next actions. So, what I did was over several months, divide this big glump of work into parts. Small. Discrete. Little lumps. So for example, one task is to create the framework for the next week’s issue. It takes AT MOST fifteen minutes. So, now on Saturday night, while I am waiting for the Yahoo Group to accept my submission and say “Our you sure?”, instead of playing a game of Solitair, or alternatively pounding on the refresh button, I create the next week’s framework. Obvious you say? I’ve been doing this for 8 years and it just never occurred to me to get that much of a head start on the next week’s work. So, I have carved this particular turkey into lots of parts. I use Google Calendar to chastise me when I fall behind. But, all in all, it’s been working well. An hour a night, has meant no crazy Friday / Saturday wee hours, making mistakes, trying to get it done.
Lesson Learned: Kissing small frogs is less disgusting than big ones.
Reinke Faces Life 