“I have so much to do! How do I get it all done?” This is a common stress we hear from business owners and leaders. The first step to addressing this overwhelm is learning to identify what type of tasks you’re struggling to accomplish. When we do that, we’re able to identify the best plan of action to address them.
There are three different types of plans that all tasks fall into.
1. Tally Plan (AKA traditional to-do list)
Tasks that fall on your tally plan, or to-do list, are all the one-off tasks that need to be completed. You can think of this like the honey-do list that you have at home.
It’s a list, usually a long list, of all the things we need to get done. The thing that separates these tasks is they are unrelated to one another. If you do one, it doesn’t necessarily help you get a different one done. If you don’t do one, it doesn’t stop you from finishing a different one. They are not connected in any way.
When you learn to identify that tasks are part of your tally plan, it allows you to create a plan for getting them done. For most people, the best way to attack a to-dol ist is to do the easiest task first. This allows you to gain momentum. In fact, many people like to put something on their list that they’ve already accomplished just so they can cross it off and feel the satisfaction and experience the positive reinforcement that comes with it.
2. Targets
The second type of plan is a target. This is when you’re trying to hit a certain goal but it’s possible to go above it. Sales are one of the most common examples of a targeted plan. You have the sales number that you want to hit, but you can go above the target.
The best way to attack a target is to learn the behaviors that will move the needle forward and then be consistent in doing them. In sales, you have to get up, make the calls, follow up with your leads over and over again. You learn the activities that help move you closer to closing those deals and then you continue to do them repeatedly.
The people who are consistent with creating the right intentional habits are the ones that end up being successful. That means if you’re overwhelmed with how much you need to get done, prioritizing the tasks that will help you hit your target is important.
3. Projects
Projects are anything that is made up of different pieces and parts that all relate to each other. If one of the tasks doesn’t get done then the whole project isn’t completed. Each thing is dependent upon the other in order to be completed. And once all of them are completed, it’s over. Unlike a target, there is no way to go over and above a project.
Identifying tasks that are part of a project helps you see the role that they play and what order they need to be completed in so you can work towards the completion of the project as a whole.
Tallys, targets, and projects are very different types of plans, but everything you want to get done is going to fit into one of those three plan buckets. We all do a combination of these things every day. Knowing how you address and attack each one is going to help you learn how you accomplish them. If you’re struggling to identify what types of tasks you have and the best way to accomplish them, the SPEARity app can help. Schedule a demo today to see how it can improve efficiency and reduce overwhelm in your business.
