How do you manage your to-do list? Here are my best-kept secrets to keeping on top of my priorities stress-free and with less overwhelm!
I follow the 4D method for productivity and funny enough when I looked for more information regarding the 4D Productivity Method, I didn’t find much! Gathering this information from great productivity gurus, David Allen’s Book Getting Things Done, I’ve put my own personal spin so we all can relate to our daily demands!
Grab the book here so you can dive into the lessons even more!
Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/3CpM3Fn
- Start with a Brain Dump Daily! Get everything out of your head and onto the paper.
- Next, prioritize the Brain Dump and assign one of the 4Ds.
What are the 4Ds?
- Do It - you need to do the To-Do so put it into your schedule or calendar. Schedule the task at the time you are the most productive!
- Delegate It - you will need to give a few tasks to others so they can manage it
- Deferring The Action- if you don’t have time to finish the task or item, then place the item in a Parking Lot
- Delete It - have a look at the To-do List and ensure that everything on that list is still required. Do you need to do everything still?
Pro Tip- Stay until the end to catch this one!!
Remember to hit follow and the bell and we’ll catch you again next week!
You Got This!
XOXO,
Sophia
A Team Dklutr Production
Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Laura Hargrave: Welcome everyone here at Boss It. We would love to hear from you. Join us in our Boss It community by heading over to our website, bossitclub.com, and join our mailing list. As we grow, we will be launching our community of fellow Boss It BFFs, and we want you to be a part of it.
Okay, Sophia Noreen, let's dig into this. I can't wait to tell them all about how we got here.
Sophia Noreen: Welcome to the Boss It Podcast. My name is Sophia Noreen and I took an Etsy startup and launched it in big-box retailers within 12 months. As a creative with an entrepreneurial drive, I left my full-time career in healthcare to find better harmony between career, family, and self-care. We believe you can have it all. Yes, you can launch and run a successful scalable business while maintaining harmony in all aspects of your life. We believe we can learn from each other and draw on many experiences to create the best life possible. During each episode, we will share proven life hacks that will keep you on top and striving every day.
There should be no hesitation. Make a plan. Take action. We are here for you!
Sophia Noreen: What's up everyone. Welcome to another fantastic episode. I, the boss at a podcast, my name is Sophia Nareen and today we're going to be chatting about how to be more productive using the 4d method and how I prioritize my daily to-do list.
So I don't get overwhelmed, but I get a lot done, so let's get into it. So the first thing that I do every single day is a brain dump. I think about what I need to do. I put it on a piece of paper, that's it. It's a simple notebook that I use. And I literally write down every single thought of to-dos that I need to get done next.
I prioritize them. And this is where the magic occurs. This is when people ask me, how are you getting all this stuff done? And if we have not met before, in a nutshell, I have a few businesses and I also work full time currently right now, as an interim executive director. We'll see how that goes by the end of the.
So stay tuned, but I'm gonna show you how I actually prioritize this massive to-do list. So you're probably wondering how is she going to go ahead and take care of this massive to-do list, this massive brain dump. And you're probably thinking that as well. That's why you're watching this video. You're wondering how am I gonna prevent myself from getting overwhelmed on the regular?
So. I use the 4D method. And if it's the first time you're hearing about it, I'm not surprised because I don't think it's shared enough. And so we're gonna chat about it today and wait till the end. And I'm gonna tell you a secret tip that I use that I think is amazing and helps me prevent my to-do lists and brain dump from getting too large.
So let's get into the four DS. So the first of the four DS is. Do it, you're going to complete that task today that is on your brain dump on your to-do list. You're gonna move it over and you're gonna make time for it in your calendar or in your schedule. And so I work most optimally from about 9:00 AM to about 1:00 PM and then I need a little break and then I start again around three to four, and then I take another little break and I get back to it sometimes in.
And so during the times that I work best, depending on the task, if it's a creative task, it goes at night. And if it's a more operational task, I put it in the morning. And if it's like a meeting, I put it in the afternoon. And so depending on the task, if I'm going to do it, it's a high priority task that I need to get done.
It gets a spot in my daily schedule. And that is the first D you have to do the task and you need to execute on the task. It moves from the brain dump and it goes to the calendar. The next of the D's is you need to delegate, you need to delegate some tasks off on your to-do list. There is no way that you're gonna be able to do it all.
For example, my kitchen is a general delegation task because more than one person lives in this. I should not be the only one doing that work. Another great example of delegation is delegating out my cat's food dish. If you guys can see it there, I can't always feed the cat. And these are exactly simple examples, but I can't always feed my kitten.
So therefore somebody else needs to do it. Like my daughters who are sitting there on their screen. Right. Lean on Zara de talked all the time anyways. So the next D is even more important. And I'll tell you about that next. Okay. For the next D number three D number three is all about deferring the action or the to-do.
I know many of us, if for creators, we like to come up with. And idea creation is fantastic, but it can be overwhelming and sometimes can create stress. So we have to be really cognizant that some things that are on our to-do list or in our brain dump may not actually be items that are a priority today.
And we need to be cognizant that not all the items that we want to do can be done today successfully. A very good example. I want to start a brand new renovation for another house. I like to flip houses. I wanna do that. And so I'm maybe eyeing something it's a big project and doing that today would not be a good idea because there's so many other things that need to be accomplished right now.
So that item is going to be put in a parking lot as a plan for later. So you're not gonna forget about it, but you're gonna remove. From your list, because if it's there, it's gonna cause you stress and anxiety. And the whole point of this is to enjoy the journey of productivity and business. And we don't want you feeling overwhelmed.
So number three D is very important to defer or delay that item. And so if you're not the type to really wanna remove things from your list, have a separate list, like a parking lot and leave it there. D number four is probably one of my favorites as well. And it is to delete the item. I know some of us have anxiety when we need to delete things, but it is just the reality of the game.
Not everything we have to get done today is important and sometimes it just needs to be eliminated. A very good example of deletion for many of us. Baked goods. And I know you might be thinking, I don't want to bake any goods. I don't wanna make a cake or a cupcake, and you're likely right. Many people don't wanna do that.
And that's why it's been a deleted item from many people's list. And they're now conveniently available in a bakery shop or your local grocery store. That is a deleted item. Some things that may have been a priority for you in the past may no longer be a priority today. And you're going to delete it off your list and you're going to get it somewhere else.
You are not the one who's now mentally responsible for that item. You have another plan to get it done. Another great example of deleting an item from my list is I used to write really great, big social media posts. Now that's not a trend currently in 2022. And it now is a deleted item. So caption writing is a couple of lines at most, and we have deleted that as a to-do on the list.
It's no longer our priority. So when you're looking at your brain dump, really think about, does this item actually still need to be here? Is it still a priority? Is it still trend? Am I just doing it because that's what I've always done and think about it from a perspective of business, but also think of it as a perspective of life.
Are there things that you're doing every day in your regular life with your family or your friends or your house, or with your pets that are adding to your stress and your to-dos when you could just delete it? So be really mindful on the last D D number four, delete. Okay. So for all my friends that stayed until the end of this video, this is my secret sauce or the pro tip that prevents my to-do list or brain dump from getting too long.
And that is the trick offered by David Allen in his book, getting things done, check it out. If you have not had a chance, I'll leave a link below. It's an amazing book. And basically he says that if the, to do or task can get done in 120 seconds, you do it now, you don't put it on any list, you just get it done.
And so that is how I prevent my list from getting extremely long, because if I know the task is gonna take less than 120 seconds, I do it. And so that way, the list only is going to have those big items or the VA items that will take me more time. And that way I can schedule them in my calendar. Like we talked about, I'm gonna do it during that day.
Otherwise I'm going to delegate it out to another family member so they can get it done or to another business associate or another team member so they can get it done. Dena red three was all about Def. We're not going to do the project or task today, but we will defer it for later on and we're going to put it in a parking lot.
And then the final D one of my favorites is to delete it, take the task and throw it out. We're no longer gonna do it. It's no longer a priority for us or for the business or for a family. And so it is. So guys, I really hope this helps you. I hope you can take some of these ideas and put them into action in your own life.
So you can be more productive and you can feel less overwhelmed with the daily tests and to-dos and demands on you. Remember guys, if you are loving these episodes, I really hope to see you guys back here next week, hit the bell and follow. So you receive a notification every time you release an episode.
And remember you can make a plan and take action and yes, you can have it all. We'll chat with you guys later. Take care. Bye.
Sophia Noreen: So my fellow Bosses, did you enjoy that episode? Now, it's time for you to make a solid plan and take action. But first, remember to subscribe and follow the Boss It Podcast so you receive a notification whenever we drop an episode. Remember to leave us a review on iTunes. Take a screenshot of your review and share it on Instagram as a post or a story, and tag us at Boss It Club. If Instagram is not your thing, no worries. Email your screenshot to podcast@bossitclub.com. As a massive thank you, we will be sending you our top 50 tips for starting and scaling a business. This list is exclusively for podcast reviewers so don't miss out. Now, remember Bosses, make a plan and take action in all aspects of your life. Yes, you can have it all.