7 Reasons Why Things Don’t Get Done

It’s been almost a month since I last wrote a post on Enhance Life. This is by far the longest period I have gone an post update! Truth be told, I had several unfinished drafts that needed a bit of tweaking before I could publish them. But for some reason, I just couldn’t focus or feel passionate about the topics I had previously written. This resulted in me having to write a post from scratch, which took more time than I imagined!

And that’s where the title of this post stems from. I’ve read a lot about “how to get things done” and improve productivity. But despite all that well meant advice, sometimes, you just don’t get things done! So today, I thought of exploring a couple of reasons, why we don’t see the results we want at the end of the day.

1. No clear goals

Without a specific sense of purpose, it’s impossible to effectively manage and organize your priorities. If you don’t have a clear idea of where you want to go, any road will take you there!

2. Lack of priorities

The best to do list ever written is useless if it hasn’t been prioritized. Most people naturally work on the easy or fun things first. They may cross off majority of their list, but miss the most important items.

3. No daily plan

Beginning your day without a plan of action is a formula for spending all day doing the wrong things. It invites anyone and everyone to interrupt your activities. You will passively allow unwelcome intrusions, because you’ll have no way to defend yourself.

4. Procrastination

It sometimes seems like a good idea to put things off for tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day. But it catches up with you!

5. Personal disorganization

No matter how organized your priorities are or how effective your daily plan is, you may be losing irretrievable time searching for things that are lost in the messes on your desk, in your files, closets and even your car!

6. Perfectionism

Are you unable to complete and release an… until its perfectly done?
Can you still see ways for something to be done better? Even if you can’t see anything, does it nag you that there must be something you overlooked?

7. Interruptions

Your day can be going according to schedule until a friend drops in or a game of warcraft commences. May of these occurrences can be eliminated, those that can’t, MUST be controlled.

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21 To-Do List Mistakes That Stop You From Completing Your To-Do List

You use a to-do list to guide you; to plan and schedule what must be done. Having such a list is a great start, but do you get the satisfaction of ever completing your to-do list?

It’s frustrating.. and sometimes you wondering why?

On Writing …

1. You don’t always get the lurking items out of your head and onto the to-do list.

2. You are not clear about what you are trying to accomplish and why.



3. The to-do list does not reflect the most important task, you need to achieve for a given day.

4. The tasks are not properly broken down into sub-tasks.

5. Dependent tasks are not properly identified.

6. The tasks in the to-do list are too vague.

7. You have not “grouped” related tasks.

8. You haven’t prioritized the to-do list.

9. You don’t keep a separate list for each category (home, work etc).

10. You prioritize the to-do list incorrectly.

11. You keep adding new tasks continuously.

12. The to-do list is too long.

13. The to-do list is badly worded.

14. You have more items on your to-do list than you have time to do!

On Execution...

15. You get side tracked with distractions.

16. You don’t set time-lines on tasks.

17. Keeping track of the to-do list and updating it is too complex (electronic versions etc)

18. You don’t have the to-do list with you all the time and sometimes, unsure of what to do next.

19. You do tasks that are not in the list (that eats up your time!)

20. You don’t use your most productive hours, for demanding tasks.

21. You don’t review your to-do list regularly (morning, evening?)

Be ruthless… reexamine your to-do list. Are any of your mistakes listed here? Any more you would like to contribute to the above list?

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Are Your Priorities Aligned With Your Schedule?

Sometimes we can get so caught up in whirlpool of day to day living that we lose sight of those things that matter to us, the most. (If you naturally start nodding to that sentence, keep reading!)

In his book, First Things First Steven Covey describes a lecture he attended on the topic of time. The lecturer took a large glass jar and set it down on a table with some small rocks beside it. He placed the rocks in the jar and asked the audience whether they thought the jar was full.

Everybody laughed and replied that yes, it was full. Then the lecturer reached under the table and pulled out a container of gravel. He poured in the gravel and shook the jar so that the gravel filled the spaces that had been left by the rocks. Again he asked the audience if the jar was full. By this time they had cottoned on, and replied no.


“Good” he replied. And he reached under the table and repeated the process, only thing time with sand, which went into the spaces left by the rocks and the gravel. Then he asked what had been the point of the demonstration.
Somebody said, “Well, there are gaps, and if you really work at it, you can always fir more into your life.”
“No” he said, “that’s not the point. The point is this: If you hadn’t put these big rocks in first, would you ever have gotten any of them in?”

Let’s try to relate this illustration to our lives..
The “rocks” are representation of the things that are really important to us. The gravel represents the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The sand is everything else; the small stuff. If we put the sand and gravel into the jar first, there’s no room for the rocks.

Are you putting the 'big rocks' first, or do gravel, sand and water dominate your life?

As Stephen Covey says, take care of the rocks first –the things that really matter. Set your priorities, the rest is just gravel and sand.

Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. ~Goethe

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Less Busy, More Productive – Is It Possible?

Our lives seem to be getting busier each day; from the time we wake up, there are endless tasks to be done… work, meetings, emails, errands, chores,.. to many other routine things. Irrespective of all the advice on "Get More Done In Less Time", being busy has become a norm.

In reality,

• Just because you're "busy" doesn't mean you're getting real work done.


• Being busy creates stress (most of the time), while productivity creates a feeling of accomplishment.


• Being busy makes time fly. On the other hand, if you are productive, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much you got done.

Indeed, there is a very distinct difference between being busy and being productive. To some, That may be a blinding glimpse of the obvious. Yet so many continue to be busy, busy, busy and at the end of the day, you wonder why you have not achieved much; why you are not as productive as you’d like to be.

Although you can’t be productive every moment, being aware of the difference between being busy and being productive can make you more effective and help you get more done. Continual busyness eventually leads to stress, particularly if results are minimal.

I don’t have a sophisticated productivity solution to offer. My suggestion is rather simple..
With each activity ask yourself:

1. “Is this the best use of my time?”

If the answer is yes, you are on the right path.
For those of you who said, "No",
1. Do something more productive or
2. Continue to do whatever it is you’re doing, but at least acknowledge that you’re not being productive!

2. “What am I avoiding doing right now that would really help me be more productive? ”

Trust me, if you really look at that question and answer it honestly, you’ll walk away with some pretty good information for what you should be really doing.


I invite you to consider devoting a few minutes today to check over your task list, or to reflecting on how you spent your time last week, and ask… “Am I busy, or am I productive?”

Do you have any suggestions for folks who are struggling to be less busy and more productive?

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How To Re-focus When You Lose Focus

Lately, I have noticed a common theme amongst a few people I know. It seems we are all struggling with the same issue – the ability to stay focused on a single task for a
prolonged period of time.

Focus is what you direct your attention to, what you allow into awareness.

Focus is a blend of intention, discipline and skill. It can be achieved by anyone who is willing to put forth the necessary effort.

Focus is something that must be fought for (it doesn’t happen just because you want it to, either!) Most often, it depends on why we lose focus.

Reason 1: Activities Don’t Interest You

Sadly, all tasks we do(or rather have to do!) are not equally enjoyable. If you find your mind wandering frequently during disliked tasks, this is a focus barrier well worth breaking through.

How to re-focus:
13 Ideas To Make Boring Jobs Bearable And A Little More Interesting
Have Powerful Reasons
8 Stress-Busting, Spirit Lifting, Body-Boosting Ideas To Brighten Your Day With Music

Reason 2: Too Many Concurrent Tasks

Sometimes, we find ourselves working on a number of concurrent tasks at any given time.

How to re-focus:
Get More Done In Less Time
Learn To Prioritize & Say No Where Required

Reason 3: Interruptions & Distractions

Beeped and pinged, interrupted and inundated, overloaded and hurried: that’s usually part of our daily routine. We are constantly bombarded by things competing to attract our attention.

How to re-focus:
Regain Control When Distractions Are Eating Your Time
Regain The Hours Television Steals From You

Reason 4: Difficulty In Managing Work Life Balance

Other people will have wants and needs that don’t always coincide with your own. As we attempt to balance the various areas of life, we become more stressed out than ever before.

How to re-focus:
How To Achieve Life Balance Amidst Chaos
Are You Constantly At The Mercy Of Circumstances?
Minimize Stress, Maximize Success!

Reason 5: Emotionally Drained

It’s perfectly OK to get frustrated, angry, etc when circumstances don’t line up as you’d prefer.

How to re-focus:
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The 5 Emotions That Drag Us Down Or Shape Our Destiny
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Reason 6: Too Tired

Sometimes we don’t have the energy we had before and often find it slow to get back.

How to re-focus:
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9 Healthier Ways To Forget The Stresses Of Your Busy Day


We spend millions of seconds doing certain things, and yet it takes only one second to lose direction. So it does take practice to master the art of remaining focused. You can see results at the end of the day when you accomplish the things you most wanted to do, rather than feeling your day was empty because you were distracted by things you consider less important.

Ways To Regain The Hours Television Steals From You

A few days ago I read in a newspaper that on average, a person spends about 30 hours a week watching television. Furthermore, this average was 20% more for the holiday season.

The article reminded me of my teenage years, where I spent more than 7 hours a day watching episode after episode. Eating in front of the television, homework in front of the television…. At the time, it seemed like the “best drug” I ever found!

A decade later, I am proud (& relieved!) to say that I am not that person anymore! The transition didn’t happen overnight and it wasn’t easy. I thought of sharing my insight on how I managed to regain those hours.

When an innocent hobby/habit becomes a problem

When engaged in watching television, time “goes by” quickly (unless the program is very boring!). Can you recall a moment where you sat down to watch one episode and then saw highlights of the next program and thought “might as well watch this one too”. Before you know it, an hour has passed; and then another and another…. So, once you are ready to get yourself out of the couch, it’s time to sleep. Or you have fallen asleep on the couch itself!

Although watching television can be a great way to unwind after a hectic day, laugh out loud, or even learn something new, it is, generally, the biggest time vampire in modern society. It took several “not so good” grades to make me aware this!

Evaluating a “healthy” level

Take a few minutes and write down all the shows you watching during the week. Don’t cheat! Write ALL, even the shows you would not admit to watching! For each show write how long it is. Add up the total hours. Is the number too high? Or are you satisfied?

How many times have you decided NOT to do something (socialize, study etc) because something you liked was coming on television?

Reasons why we watch television

The reason for watch television may vary from person to person. It might even be a more than one reason. These are a few reasons I can think of, for the moment.

1. Tired.. want to relax
2. Don’t want to spend “alone” time, alone!
3. A diversion from your life (television has you believing that life’s troubles are over in 22 or 42 minutes plus commercials!)
4. Have nothing better to do – bored
5. To increase sociability
E.g:
All my friend talk about the latest heroes episode at lunch
I find it difficult having conversations with people who say “Did you watch…?” or “Do you watch…?”

The bitter truth

Other people are being paid to do what they love (acting, directing, producing etc!)
You are watching other people, do what they love!
Why spend most of the time watching other people live their lives?

Why it’s so… difficult

24 hours a day, 365 days a year… . There are hundreds of channels, catering for every conceivable taste.
“I’ve felt very compelled to give up TV for, like, a year now, and I just don’t, partially because I adore some of the shows on TV”…. Sounds familiar?

If you can’t totally eliminate watching television….

Most of us have always had TV in our lives so it is hard to imagine life without it. So what can be done, without giving it up entirely?

1. Watch ONLY want you WANT to watch, WHEN you want to watch!
Look back at the evaluation exercise you carried out before.
Decide on the programs you really want to watch.
Perhaps, it will be a good idea to rent those television series. It will prevent you from channel hopping and “settling” from watching “what’s on”

2. Use television as a reward
For example: If you finish writing a report, cleaning the house etc
Once you have finished doing what you intended to reward yourself to a few hours of television.

3. Find new ways to occupy your time
How does one get to a point where they are too busy to watch television? “I am way too busy to watch television”
May be a new hobby, a project .. surely there must be something that you always wanted to do but never got around to it?

4. Multi-tasking
I don’t recommend this for important tasks. Perhaps, you can have the television on, while doing choirs, exercising etc

Have there been occasions where you realized that you have to cut down on television? Were you able to do so?

Overworked & Overwhelmed? Achieving Life Balance Amidst Chaos

Just as I stepped out to get some groceries this morning, I ran into one of my neighbors. In an effort to be polite (and make conversation!), I asked the typical mundane question, “How are you?”. I was expecting a “Fine thank you, how are you?” but his reply was far from that! To my surprise, he sighed and answered, “Overworked & Overwhelmed”. As a result, what seemed like a 5 minute door-step conversation, made it into a blog post!

The challenge of life balance in today's frenetically paced world is without question, one of the most significant struggles faced by most of us. We are overwhelmed by the day-to-day demands of our careers, families, constant tugging from cell phones, internet, a sluggish economy etc.. We often feel there is not enough time in our lives to do the things we need to do, let alone to do the things we want to do!

The meaning of life balance may vary for each individual, but one aspect most people agree on is that life balance revolves around time. Guess what, I don’t agree with that and I will tell you why.

Twenty four hours. No scientist or philosopher or great individual of the past has ever gotten more! 24 hours... That’s all we get. No amount of wishing, complaining, or creative time management will ever change that.

No matter how many personal productivity techniques we master, there will always be more to do than we can ever accomplish in the time we have available to us, no matter how much it is!

We’re too busy because we choose to be.

It’s not really time management we should be looking into.
Even though much has been written about proper time management, the advice is more focused on making more efficient use of time. Wake up early, delegate ..etc In fact, too much emphasis on time management makes one obsessive, always watching the clock and thinking about what task is scheduled next.

So perhaps it makes more sense to give precedence to choice management over time management?

Decide what comes first
Living a balanced life is about integrating components of your life that are truly important to you and realizing that sometimes you need to make choices about what has to come first.
For something that seems so self-evident to most people, it’s remarkable how many of us struggle to put it to practice! Often, there is a myriad of excuses, the common one being, “I am not disciplined enough.” Perhaps it’s not a discipline problem at all. The problem is more often that the person has not yet sufficiently paid the price to get very clear about what matters most to them. What do you think?

By choosing what comes first, sometimes there are sacrifices. But living a balanced life doesn’t require you to give 100 percent of yourself 100 percent of the time. There will be times when personal/family life and work collides but by knowing what’s really most important to you and making choices based on this criterion, you’ll be better able to balance your decisions.

Stay close to the shore with your commitments
People who are too nice rarely say no. Faced with too many options and too much pressure, we respond with too many “yes”s. Recognize that you don't have to agree to everything and with everyone. Use your priority criteria to identify requests that simply aren't worth your time.

You become what you expect?
We all go through life expecting certain things. Rather than having more leisure time, we have less because we expect to do more and others expect us to do more.

Finally…
Finding a balance in your life is an ongoing process. Life is in a constant state of change... a work in progress. Allow yourself the time to regularly reassess the direction in which you are heading. Are you on track, or have you temporarily derailed?

I am iterating again... We’re too busy because we choose to be. What are your thoughts on this? Leave a comment and let me know.

Note:This post is submitted as part of the Life Balance Group Writing Project.

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