Comments on: Compartmentalize and Get More Done

By: treepim

treepim — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:02:01 +0000

Good reminder that dedicating time and energy to SPECIFIC things pays off. Thanks! We hold the same mantra for bug fixing. One bug at a time :)

By: paul martin

paul martin — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 03:03:10 +0000

Also a problem shared is a problem halved

By: Amber Singleton Riviere

Amber Singleton Riviere — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:17:52 +0000

Thanks for the nice compliment, Taylor! I’m glad to hear that the post helped. I totally agree with the focus thing and with cheating on urgent over important. Today I let those things sneak in and disrupt my system, and it was terrible, but I guess it’s like dieting – you have to allow yourself off days, just knowing that you’ll do better tomorrow. Thanks for commenting!

By: Amber Singleton Riviere

Amber Singleton Riviere — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:13:39 +0000

Thanks, Anna. Actually, the two calendars serve different purposes and organize different types of information. Tom’s is more for my “to do” list, so to speak, as well as my editorial calendar, where Google Calendar is for things with set times. I also don’t that Google Calendar gets too cluttered and is harder to see what’s on deck. Tom’s provides a good organization for certain types of things. At one time, though, I did use only Google Calendar; it just wasn’t a good setup for my preferences and working style. (I’m sure that makes zero sense, but it works, and I like it better, so I’ve stuck with it.) :)

By: Amber Singleton Riviere

Amber Singleton Riviere — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:10:25 +0000

I like that, Andrew, “to take things OFF the priority list” – so important. Thanks for sharing!

By: Amber Singleton Riviere

Amber Singleton Riviere — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:09:12 +0000

I agree, Heather. Unexpected interruptions kept me from staying focused on today’s projects exclusively, and I’m ending the day feeling much more distracted and frustrated, so I know this new schedule works much better.

Thanks for commenting!

By: Taylor V

Taylor V — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:30:10 +0000

Staying focused is one of the hardest tasks to accomplish all day, especially in an open creative space. Prioritizing tasks is absolutely key, and I know we are all guilty of cheating one task that is urgent, but not necessarily important. This is definitely the first post on prioritization that I’ve read and left inspired! Thanks also for sharing Tom’s Planner. What a great tool!

By: Anna Talerico

Anna Talerico — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:09:26 +0000

Nice article! Question though: Why not use just one calendar—like Google calendar. Doesn’t having a second calendar (Tom’s), make it harder to manage and maintain?

By: Andrew McFarland

Andrew McFarland — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:05:59 +0000

Focus is absolutely the #1 to change the results you and your company can achieve. Time and time again scientists have proven that multi-tasking is a myth.

http://pivotpointsolutions.net/2010/03/23/the-secret-to-accomplishing-more/

One of the critical roles of a manager is to take things OFF the priority list (as well as ensuring the list is in the correct order).

By: Heather Masson

Heather Masson — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:29:45 +0000

Great Tips – Time management is a constant struggle. I tend to try and group “like” items together… ie. if I have to run down to office depot for something, what other errands do I have to do that week, saves me time and trips to do it all at once.

I’m working on doing 1 project from start to finish before moving on to the next. It is much easier to keep your focus on one thing, and not “switching gears” all of the time.