Schedule by Subtracting?

Do you like planning and scheduling? For many who are like me, planning and scheduling can be both exciting and nightmarish. 

If you are at all in tune with the Myers-Briggs material, much of this is due to that last letter in your profile. I am a slight ‘P’, which means I lean towards the perceptive side of things when it comes to planning and task completion. Some of you are leaning towards the ‘J’, which means judging. You are more akin to making checklists and sticking to clear-cut timelines. The ‘P’s among you, not so much. We both get there in the end, just a little differently. As I said, I am close to the middle. So I make a lot of lists that do not pan out, or are just too lofty to complete. I like big ideas, and often work out the details as they come. (Which is my ‘N’ for iNtuitive…for another time)

So as I promised on social media, here is one of the tools I have incorporated into my own working world. I will also be blogging about this later, but I wanted you, my followers and friends, to have a first look at it. It helps me make lists, most goals to where they need to be, and funnel projects with flexibility so I do not give up on them. I like freedom in my planning, which is why the funnel effect helps me move things that either are too big, or were wasting my time and thought energy.

The 7-4-3-1 Vision by Subtraction.

Why vision? Because everything you do is either set by a vision forward, or looking back on it after.

Why subtraction? Because as I said before, my lists tend to include too much. From the minute to the whole enchilada. By looking at what I can and should accomplish in one time frame I can subtract what needs to be thought of later.

7 days – What is a now? What is small enough to complete? What needs to be considered for the next item to start? If it is too big, not urgent, and requires more time and input…

4 weeks – What requires time and effort, but needs some present planning? Do I have items on my calendar that require weekly work, so each of the ‘7days’ will have pieces of it included? As I work at this level I begin to see some things that need coordinating further in advance….

3 months – Much like a semester at school. What do I hope to accomplish in a semester block? Are there smaller projects from the last 2 items that culminate in the creation of something larger? Can I set a part of each day to this outcome? Is there a broader piece of vision that I can set ahead that might fit into all that I do, but should not be monopolize all of my units of time? And finally…

1 year – What am I working towards in general? Are there items in all that I do that are focused on completing a year? Or am I surprised or relieved when a year is up, as though it took me by surprise? How can I use this year to benchmark how the next year will look? How will that change the way I operate within all my units of planning?

Try using the download for your own personal projects. Then, look at it in reverse. It becomes a great tool for reviewing what you do. That is developing vision.

If this helps you, share it and let me know!