Don’t multi-task. Focus on one thing at a time and move to the next.

I was in a training class a couple of years ago on how our company uses an agile method to build software.

The trainer had us do an exercise where we took sticky notes and write out everything we needed to get done for a sample project on the board.

Then we put all the sticky’s above a line (and the rest below) for the piece of the project that had to be complete in week 1.

Finally, he taped a square 4 x 4-inch box on the whiteboard and we put the most important thing to get done first in that box.

Once that was done we removed it put it on the table and put the 2nd most.

As he described “I use this in my regular work life as well. What is above the line is what you will do during the day. What is below you are saying no too. It feels good to be clear and say no. What is in the square box is my biggest rock of the day. Getting that done first relieves pressure on everything else. By using the box method it keeps you from multi-tasking which has proven to be inefficient.”

How can you use the square box and the agile software method to approach your week?

Defeating Average

Colin