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and includes an invitation to take action around that learning in your life.

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Just published:  Martha Treat July 2021
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The Impossible To-Do List

As I look at clients Next Actions lists my eye will automatically go to the reminders on the list that didn’t quite make it into a doable action.

For example:
         Report for Andreina
         Meet with Noah

The good news is it is written down so not forgotten. The opportunity is in up-leveling the reminder to a specific step that is doable. Otherwise, the Next Action list is no longer a tool that will move things forward.

In the example above, that could translate to:
        Look at the numbers in Andreina’s email and copy paste any changes to my excel report.
        Text Noah and ask him to set up meeting on my calendar to discuss X.

I’ve told the story of a client who changed all the items on her Next Action list to doable actions when I pointed out an actionless list.  A few days later when I was still consulting at her company, she came running in to tell me: “all those actions on my list that have been sitting there for so long are done.”

Clients often question being so specific in writing down the actual physical next step, thinking reminders are more efficient. Once they experience “reminders” sitting unattended on their list longer than necessary, they switch to a doable action. A directionless list is an impossible to-do list. Physical doable next actions offer specific direction.

Jotting things down when you have only a second works great, even if they are initially reminders. The next step is editing our captured items to clarify the actual next physical step to move things forward.

Doable next actions produce a flow of completing energy that engages us to keep moving.


Martha Invitations
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1. Look at your Next Action/To-Do list and makes sure you can actually do everything on the list in one physical step.

2. Keep writing things down regardless. You can edit any reminders into action later.

3. Challenge yourself to think in ‘next action’ steps because many things can simply be done and never make it on to a list.

Martha


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Read Previous Treats:
2021
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2020
2019
2018
Treat #209  A New Beginning
Treat #208  All Designed For Us
Treat #207  Reverence and Joy for Doing
Treat #206  Choosing vs Auto Pilot
Treat #205  Defaulting to the One-Track Focus
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Treat #203  The Fullness in Minimal
Treat #202  The Real Culprit of Focus Drain  
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Treat #200  Loving the Empty Spaces
Treat #199  Putting Together All The Pieces
Treat #198  Are you at the Top of your To Do List?  

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Treat #197  The Tiny Finishings
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Treat #194  It Works Every Time
Treat #193  Let the Stuffing Be Gone
Treat #192  Whole Focus
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Treat #190  Just Keep It Flowing
Treat #189  In Between Time
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Treat #180  Forgive Me for Multitasking
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Treat #156   The Exquisite Sound of the Moment
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Treat #153   What's bugging you
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Treat #147   Are You Signaling?
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