Time management: the “one thing at a time” method

An active business person always has a lot of work to do. Typically, much more than the time allotted for it! And they want to accomplish more than they can. "Tails" can drag on for months and even years. The unresolved gestalt of unfinished business weighs heavily on the psyche.

How can I intelligently organize everything? How can I sort through this mountain of tasks so I can finally find peace? How can I get rid of the crippling guilt, the unpleasant feeling that I'm constantly losing, missing out on something due to my disorganization? You can use the "one thing at a time" method. It's very simple to implement (if you have the will!), and the impact will be enormous.

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What do we want to achieve in the end?

Ignorance of basic time management rules can leave even the most organized person floundering under enormous to-do lists. But this can be learned.

The to-do list can be divided into two groups: routine and important. Almost every day, we encounter tasks that are dumped on us by loved ones or colleagues. There are also unimportant little things that take up time.

There are a number of tasks that, if completed, will bring us significantly closer to a larger and more important goal. This will lead to a result that will determine the rest of our lives. Therefore, the first step is defining our strategic goals. What do we ultimately want to achieve? Learn five languages? Build a house? Become the best in our profession?

The goal can be anything, as long as it's specific and time-bound. Of course, there may be several overarching objectives. But at the initial stage of learning planning, it's recommended to choose one that's most important at this stage of life.

A technique developed by Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, can help. It's called the "Eisenhower Matrix." He recommends sorting tasks into four boxes: important and unimportant, urgent and not urgent. Literally, you need to create such a matrix and prioritize.

The most important tasks are the most important ones. But it's important to understand that non-urgent ones (strategy, planning, self-development, relationship building), if not addressed in a timely manner, will at some point move into another category: relationship breakdowns, looming deadlines requireurgentsolutions. 

Decomposition, or the Principle of “small steps”

So, you've defined your ultimate goal. Typically, achieving it will require completing a specific set of tasks. In the second step, you need to describe all the actions necessary to achieve the overall goal.

Let's say you're serious about learning English and want to be fluent in the language within three years. How do you break this task down into smaller parts?

There's a classification system for foreign language proficiency. It has six levels: beginner (A1), then A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2 (in ascending order of difficulty). C2 is the highest level, so that's what you should aim for. These are essentially six intermediate stages that must be completed within three years.

Next, we study how many lessons need to be completed to reach a certain level, how many words need to be learned, how many texts need to be read, etc. Using this principle, we write out a list of tasks, i.e. we decompose each level.

We break down other goals into smaller chunks in the same way (using the "baby steps" principle). We break each task down into smaller chunks so that one task can be completed within a single day. Whether it's an hour or a few hours doesn't matter, but the key is to complete it within a day.

1 day - 1 case

And now we've reached the main point. We allocate our time so that we complete at least one task from our strategic to-do list every day. Note: this must bethe most important matter of the day! Something that can't be postponed or rescheduled for tomorrow, the day after, and so on. Today is a must. Once it's done, you can move on to everything else (routine tasks, helping loved ones and/or colleagues, entertainment, relaxation).

Knowing that a strategic task is "Done!" is the foundation for understanding that you're gradually moving toward your strategic goal. Every day, step by step. You're moving forward, not throwing your life away. At the same time, you gradually get rid of the unpleasant feeling of anxiety that you're missing out on something.

One case per day equals 365 cases per year. A true cruising speed toward your desired goal!

And what if it’s not just one thing, but more?

Some might say that one task isn't enough: it's a long trudge to the cherished goal. But if you plan to complete a large number of strategic tasks daily, you might not have enough time, energy, or resources for some of them. This means you'll have to postpone your plans.

At this rate, the list of postponed tasks will be filled with new ones: the snowball effect. That means another neurosis will loom on the horizon. And is that what we wanted? So it's wiser to play it safe, setting yourself tasks that you can actually accomplish within the given timeframe.

Are breaks and days off rational?

If you feel the need to complete 2-3 strategically important tasks in a single day, plan and do them. Of course, only if you're confident you can handle them.

Conversely, if you realize you need breaks, add five tasks to your to-do list for the coming week, not seven. And take two days off with a clear conscience (burnout is still a thing!) The key is to stick to the basic principle: schedule essential tasks for most days of the week.

What is the most important thing in time management methodology?

The main goal isn't to accomplish as many tasks as possible in a short period of time. The main goal is to learn to identify the truly important ones and to commit to completing them. In other words, to learn to manage your time effectively. This will help you unwind from unnecessary routine and relieve constant stress.

Just try it. You'll soon realize that the process has truly gotten off the ground. And the stress will subside because you'll stop beating yourself up for not getting things done.

Reclaiming a small chunk of time from procrastination is already an achievement. A moral victory. Because at the end of each day, you can be proud of at least one completed task. This is incredibly important for personal motivation. Nothing inspires more than a small success.

Use your time wisely. Plan your work to help you achieve your goals and improve your life.