Here are the steps for your daily review:
- Check your calendar. Open your calendar, review all scheduled appointments for the day, and glance over today’s strategic calendar. (15 seconds.)
- Clear old APPOINTMENT reminders if you have honored them. (15 seconds.)
- Go through your Hotlist. Mark tasks as Do Today (if you will do them today) by following these Hotlist instructions. (30 seconds)
- Go through your This Week list (if it is separate from your Hotlist). Mark tasks as Do Today (if you will do them today). (30 seconds.)
- If task reminders are optional, look at them and dismiss them. (15 seconds. If task reminders are not optional, then they are really part of your hotlist; they were already handled in the last step.)
- Validate today’s tasks. Look through your Do Today list, and re-process or reschedule any tasks you aren’t going to do today. (< 2 minutes.)
- Check for 30+ minute tasks/steps. All tasks/steps that may take 30+ minutes should already be budgeted in today’s calendar. If not, add them with tentative appointment times. (1 minute.)
- Reality check. Make sure your Do Today list is at least 80% doable today, and make sure your schedule is still realistic, with flexible time between appointments. Reschedule or disenagage if needed. (20 seconds.)
- Order today’s tasks. (Optional.) Put today’s tasks in the rough order they should be done, if it matters to you.
- Sync or print your task lists (if needed). Syncing is not needed for online apps, and it is automatic if you use a service similar to Exchange Server. Printouts help if you will be away from your computer and/or mobile device for the day. Mark the page up and put it in your Inbox when you return, for processing.
Recent Comments