Getting Specific On Getting Things Done. Period!

I’m on the brink of finishing my sixth year in education as a social studies teacher.

My first two years were spent teaching at my high school alma mater, and the past four have been at the middle school level. (The maturity and hormonal differences between 8th graders and 12th graders are OUT OF THIS WORLD!)

As the years of my experience increase, so has my knowledge and understanding of how to present challenging course material and creative and effective assignments to students, and how best to aid them so they successfully complete the task.

Photo by YoungGoGetter

As I was grading some assignments recently, I began to think about my best performing students, and the key components they possess that lead them to successfully and consistently produce incredible work. I decided to jot those thoughts down.

So grab your number 2 pencil, and get ready to take some notes. We’re getting specific on getting things done. Period!

1. Don’t keep multiple “to-do lists”. Keep all your personal assignments, meetings, activities written or recorded in 1 central location. Don’t put yourself in a place where you are constantly emailing yourself to-do lists. You will leave a series of unopened emails in a track of nonproductivity. (I’m so guilty of this! ) Instead, a moleskin or calendar/planner works great, as long as you never leave home without it. Evernote never forgets and is accessible anywhere Internet is available. My students use an agenda notebook.
2. When writing down assignments or tasks make clear, definable action steps that produce visible goal accomplishment. What are the steps that need to be taken to see the project to completion? Identify them and write them down. (Preferably in the same location of your to-do list.)
3. Identify specific dates or times to have each action step accomplished, and STICK TO IT! When you set a firm date of time to accomplish a task, it makes project management so much easier. Your next objective is mastering time management.
4. Get it done. This is the hardest one to complete. No matter the cost, get it done. Get off Facebook, focus, and get it done. DVR the latest episode of Glee, focus, and get it done. You’ve got to block out time in your schedule, like NBA Star Kevin Love blocks out defenders for a rebound in the paint, to get the job done.

In order to get things done, you have got to get specific, and get serious. The best performing students I teach follow each of these 4 steps and more on every assignment or task. The hardest working creatives I have ever been around follow each of these 4 steps and more.

So tell me. What do you do to get things done? Is there a step I missed? Left out? Forgotten? Tell me.