Its not one or the other
OK…so we all need to get stuff done, we all need to chomp through the meat of our work. It’s Monday, we need to crack on…make things happen…complete a task, etc.
And to do that we have a few options:
We can just head in and eat/beat away at it, one bite at a time working through the list, ticking off each item with confidence and vigour, with the internal dialogue of ‘well done me’ going on as we progress through the list.
But I wonder, whilst this may mean we get things done, we may not be getting things done in the right order…
Structure and Routine
And this is where structure comes in. Adding structure to our day, week, month. Like the formidable force that is the 90-day plan – often posed as the way to manage each quarter with purpose, it can really help us ‘get things done’ and ‘in the right order’.
And when we have this structure crafted, the look ahead seems more manageable as we can see where we are and where we need to be more clearly. We have ordered our tasks in some level of priority/importance (there’s a model for this out there somewhere – not one I follow to be honest) and we now feel assured of the future!
Now it’s just to create the weekly routine that must go along with this planned structure, you know the one…it goes something like:
- Mondays is A
- Tuesdays is B
- Wednesdays is C
And so on…
You may even go as far as to create daily routines like:
- 8:00-9:00 is socials
- 9:00-10:00 is general admin
- 10:00-12:00 is meetings
- 12:00-1:00 is lunch (you’ll be lucky)
- 1:00-3:00 is project time (doing the work from the meetings)
- 3:00-5:00 is other stuff…
And if life remains uniform (which it doesn’t), you will most definitely ‘get things done’ and ‘in the right order’. However, the reality is often quite different.
Missing the open door
Now I’m not saying don’t have a plan, I’m not saying don’t have structure and routine…but I am fearful of these two forces. Whilst they may seem a force for good (productivity), there may be an unintended consequence that is far more detrimental to you and your business…that of:
‘the missed opportunity, you never knew was even there’.
These are the open doors (some just ajar) you walk past as you busy yourself racing down your corridor of structure and routine. These open doors could be the gold you were hoping for but weren’t looking for. They could be the side hustles that become big things, or the joyful projects that give you energy when you are caught in the ‘drudge’ of your everyday busy-ness.
Fluid working
So, in comes ‘fluid working’; a concept that I’ve not yet mastered but I continue to work at. The idea being that:
For every given unit of time, say a day or a week (a week is better), you have a given set of tasks to do, outcomes to achieve, calls to make, projects to deliver (whatever your work area) – you must own that as an output. These tasks must be done, but how and when they are done is fluid. What time of day, what order, what level of quality (within reason), the format (within the boundaries of the project or client need), how much time etc… that’s all open for you to decide…as long as they are done within your set window, you are all good.
It helps the switch from…
- Getting stuff done in the right order…
to
- Getting the right stuff done in the right time window
This approach increases the likelihood of you noticing the open doors, even the ones just ajar. It increases the chance you will look up, and the chance you might see something that otherwise ‘wasn’t there. It was staring you straight in the face’ but you couldn’t see it because you were either looking down and in the depths of the ‘now task’ or you were looking beyond or past it as you were focusing on the ‘future goal’.
Rabbit Holes
But, like structure and routine, ‘fluid working’ has its nemeses too and that is ‘distraction’. The type that keeps pulling you away from key tasks, down rabbit holes that lead nowhere. The type that leads to ‘chaos’, where you are flitting from one shiny hopeful opportunity to the next, darting around, somewhat headless and without direction. This chaos keeps you busy, so when people ask, “How are things?” you can definitely respond with ‘busy’ but its likely to be the wrong busy and the busy that leads to overwhelm (which I have felt for sure). This gets you nowhere fast.
So yes, you need structure to help order your work and routine to help calm the headless chicken you could become. But don’t overdo it, because I promise you, you will miss out on the good stuff, whatever that is for you (and your work). There are open doors everywhere, you just need to look up…
In Closing
Look up from your corridor of work. Allow time for getting things done (the structure and the routine) but also allow for the flexibility of ‘fluid working’, acknowledging that going too far that way leads to potential chaos (you should see my desk right now). If this were on a crosshair it may feel a bit like this…
- Structure and Routine – it’s like you are on the motorway to the beautiful highlands of Scotland but you can’t look out of the window on the way
- Chaos and Structure – it’s like you have a 90-day plan but never follow it. Basically, you are in a bar and have ordered every shot on the top shelf and are drinking them in alphabetical order…it won’t end well
- Fluid and Chaos – it’s like you are in ‘Smyths’ toy store surrounded by the very cool Lego, but you have no instructions, and you keep opening the wrong box
- Routine and Fluid – it’s like you are on a rollercoaster, there are rails to take you to your destination but some unknown highs and lows along the way. However you will always be safe wearing a seatbelt (having fun getting the right things done).
If you fancy chatting about any of this, give me shout at kurt@bemorelnd.co.uk or via the contacts link.