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ToDo list

16th Sep 2011
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It’s Friday, the week has flown by. As usual looking at my Todo list I feel I have not done much. The question I tend to ask myself is why does my todo list not have more ticks? In my case it is because life always throws the unexpected. Here are some examples of my unexpected todos this week:

  • Referral (good news) that I had to act on straightaway before another accountant had a chance to grab the client. Another accountant did get a chance so I upped my selling points in a professional way of course. Meeting with the client was 1.5 hours. This was followed by exchange of emails over service and price. Finally the client caved in and signed the engagement letter.
  • Long lunch meeting with a client – 4 hours gone.
  • Staff needed help – more time gone.
  • My GP surgery called – please come in for another blood test at 9am. 2 hours gone.
  • Another client picked me up from the website, back in the selling mode, exchange of emails. Engagement letter signed.  Work involved in getting the basic data from the client.

I can go on. It would bore the few readers that read my blog.

There are some key areas of work I really need to do. I was debating if I should give up another weekend? Hell with it, life is just too short. Work will always be there but not my time. I wish I had this perspective years ago. I would have made time to enjoy life in my younger days.

Will my Todo list ever shrink? I just cannot see it. The key is to work on areas that really matter. These tend to be tasks that I tend to put off since they require a lot of effort to complete. I do not get any satisfaction from seeing 10 low value tasks done and one very high value task unticked.

I will change this. Since I started blogging I see that I am changing for the better. Blogging really helps.

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Replies (5)

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By petersaxton
17th Sep 2011 08:01

use staff

Two new clients in one day is good going.

If your staff can do the work get more staff and you should concentrate on getting more business.

Can you staff do you To Do's?

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By BillyBob
17th Sep 2011 11:17

Weekends

If you give in and work one weekend it'll soon be another and another... (been there, had no life) Have you tried giving yourself a timed deadline for tasks e.g. I'll work on this for 1 hour then stop? It works for me sometimes as it focuses you on just one task and because your brain knows you have a set time it concentrates better.....

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By Hans Zarkov
17th Sep 2011 12:46

I think

You've forgotten one item on your list that didn't help matters - the amount of time you spend on Accounting Web! (Please take that in the tongue-in-cheek spirit in which it was intended)

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By BillyBob
17th Sep 2011 13:45

Agree with Hans

A-Web is a serious distraction! I'm supposed to be busy doing something different now and yet I'm here. You said a short while ago that you were going to stick to evenings for AWeb - has that worked for you? (I doubt I could go that long!) Email as well is a killer. I try switching outlook off but then find myself opening it up again.

Try logging all your time for a couple of days and see where you spend the most time - it might surprise you. That includes making cups of tea and sundry stuff like that. You might find you can get an extra hour or two a day by eliminating the 'really shouldn't be doing' things....

(Maybe I'll even take my own advice and rediscover the joys of finishing on time!)

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FT
By FirstTab
18th Sep 2011 07:59

accounting web

Thanks for the comments.

It has only been a week now since I have managed to control my addiction to AW.On working days I do not login to AW during the working hours. I only login only during my off peak hours. Though I do post questions at any time as they arise.

I now login in the evenings on working days. I admit to having a quick peek ( 10 mins) when having my lunch. I should stop this! It needs to be evenings only.

 

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