Essentials of Time Management #4: Complete!

(Fourth in a series expanding on my rebellious notions on time management–See previous post "Rebel Without a Clock." Click the bulleted list below for other posts in this series.) 

My opinion of the five essential components of time management:

• CAPTURE
• COMMIT
• CUE
• COMPLETE
• CORRECT

So now you've Captured your information, you've Committed to doing it by making an appointment on your calendar or putting it on your task list, and you've been reminded to do it by your brilliant system of Cues. All you have now is to DO THE WORK–Complete the task. That's not so hard, right?

OK, it is hard. Let's be honest. Your reminder cued you to take action and you just don't wanna. Most of us do procrastinate! This step is where motivation really comes into play. Here are the key factors that compel people to take action and GET IT DONE:

1. It's absolutely necessary. If you don't do it, something will explode or someone will suffer. Customers won't get their orders, for example, or kids won't be able to attend school. Completing these tasks is not as difficult because your motivation is very high.
2. It's tugging at you–as Covey would say, urgent but not important. For example, some salesperson continues to call you repeatedly and you call back to get it over with, or your child has asked you ten times.
3. You're internally motivated. The task is not terribly urgent, but you have a strong reason to complete the task that is meaningful to you. You personally value the outcome because it aligns with who you are and who you want to become. For example, you like walking through the living room and seeing things clean, so you stop and pick things up now to enjoy that result later. You like being healthy so you take time to pack your lunch with healthful food instead of eating at a drive-through. 
4. You're externally motivated. The task is difficult to do or to make time for doing, but you are accountable to someone or something else. Often this means deadlines, consequences, and/or rewards. Maybe what works for you is an Accountability Partner (which is the CURE for procrastination, in my opinion- read more about that by clicking here), an evaluation from your manager, or a big bonus you'll receive.

To Complete your actions, you need a WHY. What is your WHY today for the tasks you have on your plate? Could you use a boost from an external source? Tell us in the comments what works for you!

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