Efforts to optimize productivity is key to accomplishing your goals.
Previously discussed were the techniques of brain dumps and mind sweeps. They allow you to be more productive by keeping intruding thoughts from interrupting your focus and concentration. These thoughts can be well-meaning to-do reminders, pop-up memories, or any extraneous thoughts.
The problem is that while part of your brain is channeling these intruding thoughts, the rest of your brain gets distracted and is no longer focusing on your priority.
The dilemma in totally dismissing intruding thoughts is that the important ones may be forgotten.
The solution is to use either a paper or digital planner. With a mind sweep, you record thoughts as they occur. With a brain dump, you record these thoughts at one time.
Both offer the advantage of recording important thoughts and organizing them for future reference. In so doing, your brain frees up space to focus and concentrate on what you are trying to accomplish.
Optimize Productivity
According to Katy Paauw, professional organizer, the value of using an Incomplete Trigger List as part of a brain dump is to trigger your conscious and subconscious memory of business and personal commitments.
The Incomplete Trigger List is based on productivity expert and consultant, David Allen’s idea of “incompletes.”
There are at least 41 trigger categories, with subcategories, designed to trigger a memory recognition of any required action. By working through the list, you gain a sense of where you can optimize your productivity for achieving your goals.
Use an Incomplete Trigger List to optimize your productivity. Click To Tweet
The Incomplete Trigger List
Here are three sample categories from the Incomplete Trigger List. Some items may be anxiety producing while others are a low priority. The idea is to get them out as an overview and then decide how you want to respond.
List projects started & not completed:
- What’s on your desk?
- What’s in your drawers?
- What’s on your floor/under your desk?
- What’s behind your door?
- What’s in your briefcase or bags?
- What’s in storage boxes?
- What’s in the stacks of paper on your credenza or filing cabinet?
- What about the scraps of paper, business cards, receipts?
etc.
Personal Development:
- Training/seminars
- Things to learn
- Things to look up
- Skills to practice/learn
- Tape/video training
- Résumé
Waiting For …
- Mail order
- Repair
- Reimbursements
- Loaned items
- Medical data
- RSVPs
The Incomplete Trigger List, allows you to optimize your productivity by —
- Becoming aware of what’s not being paying attention
- Re-prioritizing, focusing and concentrating on what’s important
- Seeing what ceases to be a distraction if time is allocated for completion
- Identifying areas that need less emphasis and attention
- Deciding where and what you can delegate
- Averting potential problems by addressing them sooner than later
- Breaking down and allocating time more effectively
- Discovering avoidance and/or procrastination areas
- Identifying weak areas that need better planning
- Determining where and how to allocate resources
I’ve given you three different links to the Incomplete Trigger List. Choose the format that you feel most comfortable with. It may seem rather intimidating at first, So make it easier by addressing only one section at a time. Allow your thoughts and feelings to become a brain dump of its own.
http://www.mungosadhd.com/2010/08/david-allens-getting-things-done.html
http://www.orgcoach.net/pdf/ram_dump.pdf
http://www.easetheload.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Incomplete-Trigger-List.pdf
What’s now on your list of things that you can use to optimize your productivity?
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Joyce, these are fabulous. I have to keep these for those days when I know I have a million things to do, but am casting about for what comes next. Thank you!
You’re one busy lady with a million things to do. But, you’re in good company with a lot of us.
I find I lose productivity time because of what I call “new shiny object” syndrome. If I get an idea I’m more enthralled by or if something I could be working on is more fun / rewarding, I gravitate toward those things. What that tells me, particularly after looking over your lists, is that I need to reprioritize some of my chores, and maybe even outsource some of the things that don’t have to be done by myself.
Jennifer, all good options to be more productive. The new shiny object is going to be attractive because your mind sees value and potential. Just allocated some time to evaluate it and see if you want to proceed and if you do, schedule it in. You will be able to quickly tell if it should go to the top of the list or something you get to when you have more time.
Delegating some of my tasks is my key focus right now. I need to be able to delegate so that I can concentrate on the productive side of my business. Thanks for the tips.
Good choice Apolline. Save yourself for the things you do best is the secret.
Good for you Apolline. Most people have trouble delegating. They want to control everything when they should be concentrating on what’s most important.
Joan,
Thanks a good article and it really gives The incomplete trigger list. This helps a lot and it can be difficult to balance, but we try our best everyday to do so.
Thanks.
Lori English
Agree, Lori, to try our best every day. I’ve noticed that over a period of time we get better at it.
What a great list of tips for how to be more productive, Joyce! Thanks for sharing 🙂
More than welcome Joan. We are so committed to our businesses that being as productive as we can is a great motivator to continue on.
As someone who always takes my tasks to paper and a written planner, I resonate with the tips you offered in this post, Joyce. Over the years I seem to have developed a system where I can think of something to trigger another that I want to remember. I find writing things down is the best way to take your mind off them, yet know that you have a tangible list to refer back to.
I admit that my mind is a wandering machine (and I actually like that), and often when least expected, one thought leads me to something else that actually does need my immediate attention…a kind of internal reminder to put my focus on something other than what I am doing. The idea of an Incomplete Trigger List sounds like a great way to refocus, reframe and reprioritize the things that need your attention. Thanks!
The incomplete trigger list is a great way to manage things that often slip our mind. Lord knows there are more things than ever to keep track of. Glad it a tool to add to your tool box.
This is really great. I am actually going to bookmark this so I can get organized! My desk is a mess. My mind is full of ideas and things to do! I needed this today!
Hey Anne, we all have to start somewhere. First, free up your brain by writing things down or using an organizer app. That will take a lot of pressure off and free up time to work on your desk. Then all those good brain thoughts have a place, and you have the time to go through and see what most productive.
Great suggestions! I need to have se this! I write everything down, but need an organized format!
Glad you found it useful Kimberly.
Eeeek, great tips.. as I tend to be easily dis-tractable… and allow it, worse even! But I keep working on it and reminding myself.. is this the most important thing I can be doing now?
Keep talking to yourself and qualifying by asking if this is the most important thing right now, and all those pesky to-do things will get done sooner than later.
I love the idea of the incomplete trigger list, Joyce. It’s a great way to narrow down your priorities and see where you have become ‘stuck’. Thanks for the great tips.
Happy that you liked this tip. More on the way.
I”m definitely a list person, the problem is too many lists and trying to multi-task. I find if I take one task at a time and follow through till completion I do much much better; and feel better too. The struggle is stop slipping back into the multi-task’ mode where nothing gets done.
Definitely going to go through your “incomplete list” this weekend to set myself up for a product week next week.
Oh, yes the scourge of multitasking. There are some who seem to thrive on it, but I suspect it’s only temporary until things fall apart. The one project at a time approach makes more sense, and it means you’re directing your best brain energy to it and it alone.
Multitasking seems the way to go to get more things done. And, I agree with you. It can be hard to resist at times. But, as you’ve found it makes more sense to complete one thing at a time.
I’m afraid to answer that first set of questions! LOL I’ve never heard of the Incomplete Trigger List, but by the end of your article, I understood why the word “trigger” was used. 🙂 Being a bit of a pack rat, I can tell that this exercise could really help me. My poor husband–I blame him for making me disorganized. I swear I wasn’t like this before marriage! 😉 On a more serious note, I do find that getting my to-do list out of my head and onto paper makes me sleep better and improves my mood. I’m excited to give this a try!
Yes, husbands can make you disorganized. Mine seems to think I should know where his stuff is as well – LOL. That’s two balancing acts in my brain. Anyway, it’s a process that’s very helpful, and if it gets us to sleep better and be in a better mood. it’s worth it.
I downloaded The Incomplete Trigger List as soon as I got to the end of your post, Joyce. I really need it this week when my plans have gone off-track because of various events that took priority including an emergency vet visit yesterday. I pulled up a few critical items that either have to be done this week or scheduled for the next last night but there was a niggling thought at the back of my mind whether I had missed something. This list is definitely going to help.
Sorry to hear about your emergency trip to the vet. I hope everything is okay. It’s another reason for using the Incomplete Trigger List. We get sidetracked by other important obligations and our brain can easily forget.
Lately, I have a lot of writing projects I want to tackle. Publishing my book based on caregiving for my Mom who had Lewy Body dementia; writing a few e-books, starting a new blog in addition to the one I already have. Sometimes it is all whirling around in my head and I’m trying to tackle it all at once. So the one thing that hit home for me in your article was: Re-prioritizing, focusing and concentrating on what’s important. Great article. Thanks for sharing!
Joyce I love this and after 10 days of being unwell I can start with what’s on my desk, under my desk and on a stool I propped by my desk 12 days ago. Thanks xxx
Sorry to hear you were so sick Suzie, but sounds like you’re ready to get back to work. Pace yourself, there a lot that can accumulate in 10 days, so don’t try to tackle it all at once. Always remember, it get’s done when it get’s done.
Thanks for clarifying the difference between a mind sweep and a brain dump and what to do so as not to lose vital information. I will be able to use the incomplete trigger list in my business and with clients.
The incomplete trigger list is a great too. There’s only so much you can keep in your head so having a list like this is a great way to catch those to-do items before it’s too late. I’m glad to hear that it works for you and you want to share it with clients.
Thank you Thank you Thank you!! Your Incomplete Triggers List is what I need right now to optimize my productivity! Thanks Kathleen for sharing this on linked in.
You’re welcome. Share it with everyone you know since we all get overwhelmed and miss things we should be paying attention to.
As someone who’s challenged by having to find a new place to live, I need lots of structure and support. Thanks for your suggestions.
I know it’s a challenging time for you, so if these suggestions help in some way I’m glad.
Joyce, I LOVE the THE INCOMPLETE TRIGGER LIST. What a great way to get organized and see what needs to be brought out into the light to get finished. It is so easy to “stick things” places and then forget they are there, or get so used to seeing them on your desk thy become “messy decorations”.
Kathleen, what a keen observation about “messy decorations. ” You’re right. Just because it’s there doesn’t mean it registers. Glad You love the incomplete trigger list. It’s definitely a life saver for us busy bloggers.