Many time management strategies urge people to do the hardest thing first, but I don’t believe that works for everyone. Some aren’t “morning people” and need to warm up to doing deep work or reach their prime in the later hours. Others feel more focused when their mind is clear and are better off doing the small tasks instead of mentally tracking them.
Regardless of the reason, making a to-do list in two categories can help you to be productive. One lists all the “doing” tasks you must accomplish, while the other includes the “thinking” items you need to do. An example of the first list could include filling out an expense report, reading routine emails, looking up a data point, or scheduling a meeting. A thinking list may be developing a presentation, writing a proposal, or reading an important report or nonfiction book.
When you’re not at your peak energy level, you can still move forward by working on things from your “doing” list and scheduling prime time on your calendar to do deep work on your “thinking” list. (You can also turn your “thinking” list into “doing” projects, as described in dot #2476.) Acknowledging your energy level and appropriately pairing your tasks with it is the way to craft a time management strategy that actually works for you.
