I forgot my dad’s birthday. Once. Not good for the guy who teaches productivity! We’re close, and this was a big disappointment. I promised to never forget something that important again!
In Stephen Covey’s book, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” he describes the Eisenhower Principle: the quadrant system outlining important/not important and urgent/not urgent sections.
You want to focus on projects that are “important but not urgent” such as: building meaningful and deep relationships with coworkers, family, and friends; developing your career; and even taking care of yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
This is where the 30/30 Rule comes into play. Get out of the day-to-day grind of what’s due, and invest in the near future. Review your calendar 30 days out. Find the important things you’ve committed to: big meetings, vacations, birthdays, anniversaries, deadlines, conferences. Daily, work for 30 uninterrupted, completely intentional minutes on something that is 30 or more days out. Apply this at work to upcoming meetings, trips, and deadlines. You’ll experience momentum, beginning important projects early.
The 30/30 Rule won’t stop your boss from dropping a big project on you at the last moment or your child telling you she has a science report due in the morning, but at least you’ll have peace of mind about everything else on your schedule. I haven’t forgotten a birthday since!