Hi Linda, Cheri & Shannon, I have used this "list" method for many years. Often I amaze myself at how much I can do in a given period of time. I think one of the best things that making lists can do is to free up the "thinking space" in your brain. It's a bit like removing unnecessary information from your computer hard drive and placing it on a disk. Like the computer, the free space allows you to think more freely and creatively. Shannon said: =============== "My head is usually a jumbled mess." =============== That is symptomatic of trying to remember too many things. People who do this usually become overwhelmed or confused and give up. Then they get frustrated because they have important things to do and they just never seem to have the time to do them. You see, instead of having to remember and think about 10 or 12 things, all you have to do is think of one thing - the list. Crossing items off the list also gives you a great sense of achievement. I also have a method for "chunking down" big tasks. I liken that to chopping wood. When you chop wood you can do it the idiot's way which is to exert massive force into the centre of the block or you can do it the smart way which is to shave down the sides. I wrote an article about getting things done on my website. If you are interested then you can view it here: http://www.motivationselfesteem.com/Introducing-the-Power-Hour-Concept.html Best Wishes Gary Simpson

Hi Johnny: ========================================= I was blessed to read an e-book a few years back I found in and online college I had access to. It was about the 80-20 rule. ========================================= The 80/20 rule stems from the work of Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80% of income in Italy was received by 20% of the Italian population. The assumption is that most of the results in any situation are determined by a small number of causes. This idea is often applied to data such as sales figures: "20% of clients are responsible for 80% of sales volume." If you are contacting 100 people every day, by the Pareto Principle; --> 20 of the 100 bring you 80% of your profit. --> 80 of the 100 bring you 20% of your profit Why not just contact the 20% that bring in 80% of your sales? It's a lot more efficient. lol I find the more selective I am about who I give my time to and how I use my time... the more profit I make. : ) Linda P.S. Cheri.... I slip up now and then and try to do more than one thing at a time. Same results.... I get none of them done. I do a great job of berating myself for it, though. lol

Linda, I think Pareto was only partly correct. I think, maybe 20%. The other 80% is wrong. Gary Simpson

Gary, A couple of other possibilities: He was 20% right 80% of the time; or 80% right 20% of the time. :-)

Linda, Great article. I think I've read that story some time in the past. Though I have to admit it's a something I've not practiced. But I have to admit, I'm getting better at writing things down (My To Do List). It's just not categorized in order of importance, nor is it short (LOL). You should factor this little strategy into the course somehow.