When you start planning an important task or project in addition to the standard methods it is also worth to try the following “Critical Factors Finding” technique. It allows you to use your skills and experience better and uncovers a few hot spots you would not normally reach. This method will support you greatly in the successful completion of your task.
At the beginning specify precisely the objective that you want to achieve and by when it will be realized. Then imagine in detail that it is the planned day and you have not completed the task. Consider what could have happened and write down all the reasons that come to your head. Simply write them down: analysis and evaluation will be done later.
Now that you have everything on the paper, change the position of your body. If you are standing – sit down, if you are sitting – stand up. Look out through the window and think about what you like the most in this view. Recall the taste of your favorite food.
Then imagine in detail that it is the planned day and you have completed your task with great success. Consider what could have happened and note down the reasons that come Your head. As before, do not analyze them at the moment.
When you finish writing start reading your notes. For each negative event think about a number of ways by which you can avoid it. For the positive ones invent all the ways that can be used to cause such an effect. In any case: focus on what YOU can do and what actions YOU should (or shouldn’t) take.
If your task is complicated divide it into sub-tasks and follow the above steps for each of them.
The method described can help you to find the most important factors that could cause the failure or the success of your plan. And what is even more valuable: you can use it to plan activities that will greatly help you to achieve your success.
Have fun and enjoy!
Why throwing out from your mind as many matters as you can and writing them down in one place make you feel better?
Why do you feel more relaxed and have a sense of control over what you have to do?
Handing over all things, that need to be done only to your head forces you to remember all at the same time. Do you remember that unpleasant feeling “And what I have to do now? Oh, I’ve probably forgotten something!”? Definitely it is more efficient to focus the brain on finding creative solutions rather than on storing the entire directory of problems. Moreover finishing a task from the written list gives you a sense of success and satisfaction with the work done so far, and the inventory list available at any time releases you from the nervous thinking on what step should be next.
Storing the tasks on the list has also another great advantage: every time when you are browsing it, you can decide if you still want to resolve the matter. Maybe it has already lost its value for you, or you can delegate it to someone else? When you have the whole list in your head the matters, which are not resolved occupy your mind and you can easy feel overwhelmed by the excess of tasks. Your brain, following the previous decision made, concluded that there is an open issue, and when you do not cancel it consciously you will be exposed to the subconscious pressure from your mind.
But how can you change your decision, if do not consciously remember that you’ve decided to do something? And here comes the helping hand from the honestly gathered and updated list of tasks.
Do you have an old wardrobe somewhere, which you wanted to clean up some time ago? Or maybe a room where you store things? When you’re passing by such a place you probably remind yourself that you have to clean it. Then you go further, because now you are busy with something else, and the open matter of cleaning is still in the mind demanding your attention. This is very tiring! What can you do in this situation? You can consciously decide that you do not want to make the cleaning at all. You can start tidying up at once. Or you can put this task on your list (you can also add the deadline date there!) freeing your mind from the duty to remember it.
What a greeeat relief!