Miracle Mondays...when Monday morning rolls around and I finally make it to my desk, I am usually pretty charged-up. I'm not saying I look forward to Mondays but will admit, a part of me is fired-up to begin my week.
Over the years I have tried many organization/planning binders, systems, and tools. Within the past year I went back to one of my favorite systems: pen-paper-three hole punch binder. I have a planning page for each day of the work week (a template I found online) and before leaving work each day, I fill in the next day's goals and agenda. What are the top five things I want and need to accomplish? Then below is a list of items carried over from the previous day and any new tasks that have been added during the day.
The binder is great by itself but even better with my new "one-touch" inbox filing system for email. I touch it once and file it to the appropriate folder, delete it, or act on it immediately. My inbox used to rule my unproductive day - but that is no longer the case - and it feels fantastic. Does it work? Only if you are steadfast in using the system and so far, it has been a "miracle" of sorts for my productivity and responsiveness.
On miracle monday, I also attempt to eliminate the top 2-3 items leftover from the previous week. What are the tasks that really slowed me down or frankly, should have been accomplished but were not - and for many reasons. Those painful tasks that now need to get done and can no longer be put off. If I can knock those off my list rather early in the day, it will be a good monday! If I have to put them off yet again, the chances of actually accomplishing those items are pretty slim.
In my world, this might translate into a potential missed opportunity, lost sale, or worse-case scenario, a lost client. No matter how I spin it internally, none of these outcomes is remotely positive and must be avoided at all cost. Every once in a while, a Miracle Monday task could result in a major coup for my business or me personally. You know, something that turns out to be much larger than anticipated, beyond anything I could have imagined, a WOW in every way possible...a "miracle" even!
I can tell you from looking over today's agenda that there is little hope for such a miracle today. What inspired me this morning, however, was a tweet from USA Hockey that I read (and re-tweeted) this morning: Today is the 32nd anniversary of the Miracle on Ice hockey game against the Soviets in 1980...the greatest single sports miracle in history.
Maybe it's time to start your own miracle monday routine...
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