How I Get Things Done
October 20, 2009 5 Comments
People like to ask me how I get so many different things done. Of course, I’m flattered, and I need a better, more self-deprecating answer. The answer lies somewhere in being able to read something once, make a gut decision, and never look back. I move quickly.
On a tactical level, I have a few simple guidelines I follow:
- Every day the first thing I do when I get in the office is review what I accomplished yesterday and write down what I’m going to do that day
- I only read emails once and handle them on the spot
- I never go to bed with an email in my inbox (inbox zero was hard to get to but has been easy to maintain)
- I love delegating to people smarter than me and watching what they produce
- I read 100 blog posts a day and use that to generate ideas
I don’t believe there is one right way for people to get things done, but this method works for me.
About David Cummings
And what’s amazing is that you don’t multi-task in our accountability meetings. You’re completely focused on us – no email, no calls, etc. AND I’ve seen you out the door at a very reasonable hour to have dinner with your family. I’d be curious as to whether you have a designated part of the day when you read/reply to emails or if you do this all day long.
Thanks Elizabeth! I try and schedule 30 minute breaks between daily meetings and I use that time to respond to emails. I believe lightning fast email responses is a competitive differentiator.
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