Busy Day
I have recently joined Toastmasters International and was scheduled to do the ‘Icebreaker’ speech in a week’s time but so many people are sick at the moment that I was asked to give my first speech with only a day’s notice. On that particular day I had a great list of other things to do. I knew that if I didn’t organize myself well that I would not get everything done so I spend the first part of the day carefully constructing a “How To Do List.” This tool focuses not just on what to do but on the process required to complete activities. It also focuses greatly on the likely difficulties to be faced as these are the things that prevent things from getting done and that often throw the day into confusion. By implementing some foresight I can often counter these difficulties before they arise and hence have a highly-productive day.

The following is my list, with the results as the day went along at the end:

Wednesday’s How To Do List

Task: Write a post for the blog on a GS related topic (Aristotelian Logic)
How To Do This:

• Read the relevant section from People In Quandaries, by Wendell Johnson
• Notate
• Write referencing E-Prime and general principles of accuracy
• Edit and post

Difficulty Expected: limiting the scope of the article and yet conveying the essential points in an entertaining style.
Counter the Difficulty: Read the text, dissect, consider its application, consider its usefulness, consider the call to action

Task: Prepare the Icebreaker speech
How To Do This:

• Brainstorm possible topics
• Select or create four stories, one for each topic
• Notate the main points and any embellishments (humor, specific words, gestures etc)
• Rehearse each story and check the timing (1-minute for each)
• Weave together with a beginning introduction and a summary conclusion
• Rehearse and memorize the key points
• Select and prepare what to wear
• Leave at 18:55 to ensure early arrival

Difficulty Expected: Coming up with the four stories and settling upon them, deciding upon a theme for the icebreaker - history, collection of points, personal interests and then come up with stories. Timing will prove time-consuming to balance (200 wpm?). Rehearsals will prove time-consuming.

Task: Carry out Blog Mastermind lesson 10 about writing better headlines
How To Do It:

• Read the relevant supporting information from CopyBlogger
• Print it out
• Consider how to improve titles
• Find out if it’s okay to change a title after it’s posted

Difficulty: Giving it real time and attention. Properly carrying out the exercises when I might consider them of marginal benefit, or else because I have too much to do at this time. The learning and skill development of titling might not come easily and might lead to indecision over perfecting the titles - I can accept imperfection for today and see it as a long-term thing to improve through regular application.

Task: Continue with the transition activities from the old theme to the new theme
How To Do This:

• Install updated files
• Check if saving problem still exists
• Upload admin files again, if necessary, unless it will take too long for today
• Modify another 10 previous posts to take account of theme changes
• Add the footer to each one
• Add a call to action for each one
• Change the title if it’s particularly bad

Difficulties: Saving ‘bug’ could take a long time to solve and whilst annoying is non-essential right now so ditch this objective if it proves too distracting. The post modification work is a bit tedious so don’t do it if other more pressing problems still bear. Tackle those other problems first. Do the modification work with a calm mind that accepts the slow plodding work.

By this stage you should have a good idea of how to put the “How To Do List” into action. In addition to the four above I had another three important tasks to finish on the same day and I knew that I would be hard pressed to do all of them.

The Result
In the end I got everything done apart from one item. The level of thought put into considering the process and the difficulties really paid dividends as the day progressed. Creating the speech proved the most difficult thing to do during the day as I agonized a bit over what to include, what to cut out, and what message to convey. I also found the timing of the speech very difficult and had to rehearse very thoroughly. Although I have done public speaking before I haven’t done any for a while and so I did have some motivational problems during the day. In the past I would probably have indulged in distractions and procrastinated heavily but thanks to the “How To Do List.” and the thought put into the processes I avoided this. Whenever I had difficulties with the speech or with writing, I moved onto another activity on the list. More importantly, I knew why I had difficulties with the speech (always an issue of what’s personally possible or not) and so it became easy to face up to that and to deal with it.

That evening I gave my speech and it was very well received. I didn’t quite get the timing right and the conclusion was weak because I didn’t have time to resolve that issue properly. All in all, a very satisfactory result that would previously have proven impossible for me without the “How To Do List” and the instant understanding that blocks to progress come from attempting to do the ‘impossible in the moment.’ Instead of reeling from that I could deal with it and keep things going.

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