The day before you leave

Carrying on with our return to some of the DDOMM basics, today I would like to talk to you about your time keeping.

Today I would like you to do the jobs you know you always put off – first….as in before you do anything else. No making 17 cups of coffee or chatting with your work colleagues about what you did last night. Now, before you conveniently forget again.

This becomes even more critical if the jobs and tasks are also important AND urgent, like making client phone calls, scheduling appointments, paying bills, writing letters and emails, returning calls you don’t want to return, finishing assignments or anything else that has been sitting at the top of your MUST DO today list since the beginning of the week.

We can and do make every excuse about why we couldn’t do something today – if we don’t like the job we need to do. The problem with that of course is simple, the issues don’t go away, nor do they get any smaller. So today I would like you to take one of those issues and deal with it – NOW.

Imagine that today is the last day you will be in the office (or school) before you take time off. Well in theory, none of us know what tomorrow will bring, so - would you be happy for someone to take over where you left off if you didn't get in tomorrow? What would they find? The answer to that may or may not embarrass you of course, but that's up to you. Having a clear desk policy is good, but having a clear mind policy is better. Finish your work today and with a clear conscience you won't have to worry about what the tomorrow's of the world will bring.