Purpose Your Day: Most Important Task (MIT)

gtdfrk Says:

February 12th, 2007, 22:26 pm

Leo, this is so true of many things. They may be obvious, they may seem to be easy, but the real trick is about actually focusing on them and doing them! That’s why I love to read about your MIT. I find that I am sometimes doing what you are suggesting right here, but not really consistently and definitely not every day. Reading about it in your article once again makes me aware of the power of this MIT concept. I’ll be working on implementing this tip more consistently. Thanks!

-gtdfrk

Leo Says:

February 12th, 2007, 22:31 pm

gtdfrk, thanks for the comment! I know what you mean about being consistent with these habits every day. I have a hard time with that myself sometimes, but the key is to just pick it up where you left off if you drop it for awhile. Don’t get discouraged and keep on going!

Pascal Venier Says:

February 16th, 2007, 14:19 pm

A very useful post.

A most extreme form of the MITs would be the legendary The “Not Insane” To-Do List: See: http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/005701.php

;^)

Leo Says:

February 16th, 2007, 14:56 pm

Hi Pascal, thanks for the nice comment. If it’s of some use for people, I’m happy! The link to the no insane to-do list doesn’t seem to work for me, but I remember it. Basically a very, very simplified to-do list. Love it.

Naomi Hazel Brice Says:

March 14th, 2007, 17:53 pm

Have you ever thought about doing your MITs at night?

Leo Says:

March 14th, 2007, 18:10 pm

Excellent question, Naomi. I don’t have a problem with doing MITs at night — ultimately, when you do them is a personal choice that depends on what works best for you. The main thing is just to get them done, and to give your day some purpose.

For me, however, mornings are best. I used to be a night owl, but I was always too tired at night to really be productive. I’ve found that waking early and getting my MITs done in the morning (when I seem to have more energy) is really best for me - it starts my day with great momentum and everything else I get done is gravy. If I wait until the end of the day, it leaves more pressure and I feel like I’m running behind. It’s best to get it over with and move on from there! At least, that’s my experience — but if the night hours work better for you, go for it!

Lyman Reed Says:

March 15th, 2007, 10:52 am

Thanks for the great post! The concept reminded me of Brian Tracy’s “Eat That Frog”, a book about getting those things done that are most important to us. Doing it first thing in the morning is definitely the way to go for me.

Leo Says:

March 15th, 2007, 14:31 pm

Thanks Lyman. I haven’t read “Eat That Frog” yet, but I’ve heard a lot about it and plan to read and review it soon, as it sounds right up my alley. Getting the tough things, or the important things(either or both), out of the way early makes a huge difference in my day. I’m not able to do it every day, but I try to do it most days.

Nico Deblauwe Says:

April 14th, 2007, 7:47 am

Hi,

I like this concept, but just had one side-thougth: You suggest doing your MITs as soon as possible, in the morning.

If you are like me, and thus not very much of a morning person, it sounds sensible to schedule the execution of your tasks to another moment, e.g. to fight some the otherwise unproductive moments in your typical day, e.g. after coming back from lunch (at work) or after arriving home in the evening. You actually convert procrastination time into priority time, which is actually a double win!

Could you share your opinion on this?

Leo Says:

April 14th, 2007, 8:12 am

Hi Nico … very interesting question. First, my suggestions don’t work for everybody … everyone has to find their most productive times and use those to the best advantage. If for you, your most productive time is after lunch, then use it!

However, my suggestion for doing MITs early is because of an observation I have for myself and many others: that later in the day, we tend to run out of time to do things we had scheduled, because unscheduled things pop up throughout the day to ruin our schedule. So if I schedule something at 8 a.m. and another thing at 4 p.m., I notice that the 8 a.m. task is easier to stick to, while the 4 p.m. task might just get pushed back because of other things that have popped up. So I recommend getting your MITs out of the way as soon as possible … if not first thing in the morning, at least earlier in the day rather than later.

Another thing, for me, is that I find I have less energy later in the day. At this time I don’t really feel like doing harder tasks. You should see when you have the most energy and use this time. I’m sure it’s different for you than me.

Ultimately, we just have to experiment and see what works for us. You might give mornings a try for your MITs, and if that doesn’t work, try after lunch or right when you get home from work. When you’ve found that sweet spot, it’ll feel great!

Thanks for the excellent question!

Jim Says:

June 27th, 2007, 5:41 am

Leo I am in process of quitting smoking, cutting back on drinking and finally organizing my house. I have 4 kids . You have been an inspiration !

Rick Says:

July 6th, 2007, 9:13 am

tramadol

Rick Says:

July 9th, 2007, 17:15 pm

tram-1978

MikeTheory Says:

August 1st, 2007, 0:10 am

This is a great idea and I am going to start this August 1. I have finally got in the habit of getting up at 4:30, but have not really been doing anything useful with my time yet, but I always get a burst of energy on Mondays and the first day of the month.

David Says:

August 3rd, 2007, 12:46 pm

Question, Leo: do you DO your MITs right after you wake up and get that glass of water, or are you just SETTING them, to be done later throughout the day after your morning routine?

Leo Says:

August 4th, 2007, 7:32 am

Hi David … good question, and I didn’t make this clear: I set my MITs in the morning, first thing. I also try to take care of one MIT before I leave home, and then my others when I first get to work, although that can vary from day to day.

I should also note that another approach I’ve taken is setting my MITs the night before, which actually works very well.

dlasiebie.pl Says:

November 13th, 2007, 19:25 pm

[...] Tekst zainspirowany artykułem Purpose Your Day: Most Important Task (MIT) [...]

Dennis Says:

December 3rd, 2007, 0:06 am

Hey, Leo…

Have you ever considered making a “printable” page link on each article, possibly linked to a pdf (that would not only have the articles, but also promo info & credits, etc.)?

I sometimes would like to share an article here and there to friends now and then, but when I cut n’ paste, I might not always get all the linkback info…

And what’s this I keep seeing about a book?

Thanks!

Magda Says:

December 18th, 2007, 20:31 pm

dlasiebie.pl –This is fabulous. Of all places, I never thought I’d chance upon a Polish website which revolves around “zen habits” topics.

Much thanks.

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

December 29th, 2007, 1:41 am

Focusing on just one thing at a time is such a great concept. It really does increase your chances of getting it done, especially if you do it right away. Great post!

Jim Says:

January 6th, 2008, 21:16 pm

Finish preveious comment.

Work focus, breaks, focus breaks, Lunch eat and walk.
After work I enjoy the gym. Etc.
Aerobic and resistance exercise.
End of day 10-15 minute sit. Watch the breath.
Slow my mind.
Prayers.
Rest.

Chloe Says:

March 18th, 2008, 12:27 pm

Hi Leo-

I am a huge fan of your blog and really admire your lifestyle. I tried the MITs at the beginning of the year, but couldn’t stick to them. I wonder if you have any advice for someone who works part-time, is in a Master’s programs full time, and lives alone (so all the cleaning, decluttering, fixing, cooking is my responsibility). Depending on the craziness of work and school (midterms versus non-midterms, projects for work, etc) I feel like each of my life areas (work, school, health, home, etc) have one or two things that need to be accomplished each day, so three is sometimes not enough, and then I’m overwhelmed, etc…it’s a cycle!

Basically, if you have any advice for this situation…I’d love to hear it.

Thanks!

Sara - Piperita Says:

March 26th, 2008, 6:19 am

You MIT’s concept changed my daily routine as much as the GTD 2 minutes rule!
It’ just genius!
Thanks!!!

Heal Says:

April 3rd, 2008, 15:11 pm

Interesting the more I read this blog the clearer I see life!

Thanks

Vanessa Says:

April 8th, 2008, 8:10 am

Could you give some examples of your MITs?

How do you balance “process” (or habit) MITs (eg go for a run, spend more time really with to daughter) v’s “project” MITs (draft floor plan for proposed creative / visitor room).

Dan Says:

April 26th, 2008, 0:18 am

How you can implement MITs with Gtdagenda:

“And here’s the key to the MITs for me: at least one of the MITs should be related to one of my goals.”
- Fist, add a goal into one of your life’s categories (or areas of responsability, as David Allen says it). Then add smaller goals, or projects, that finishd one after another will result in reaching your goal. These projects will then contain the tasks, or action steps that can be done and marked as done. One of the cool features of Gtdagenda is that it allows prioritizing. Your MITS in each project have to be set as priority 1. They will be clearly visible, there’s a line that separates priority 1 activities from the rest.

“Another key: do your MITs first thing in the morning”
- Then, mark 2 or 3 MITs as Next Actions, and do them in the morning. When you connect to Gtdagenda in the morning, the start page will be Next Actions so you know exactly what you want to to that morning. It’s very important to start your day doing MITs, because only this way you’ll feel productive throught the day. If you start the day doing some trivial activities, you’ll feel unproductive all day long even, you finish your MITs in the evening.

Dan
http://ww.gtdagenda.com

Herdi Says:

May 17th, 2008, 10:55 am

Hi Leo, love this post!! Can I ask you from a self-help point of view, of whom do you look up to as your mentor or guidance for personal development?

telcy Says:

May 24th, 2008, 8:00 am

good work guys

keep it going to help people like us

Thank you soo much

Vern at AimforAwesome Says:

July 12th, 2008, 2:31 am

My most important task is creating my list of tasks in the morning. I prioritize them and also put some extras at the bottom that I can switch to if I get bored of what I’m doing. Like if I just sat in the room for 9 hours I might feel like going to the store to pick up those DVD-RW’s I’ve been putting off for 2 weeks. I might feel like exercise. Etc. My MITs usually consist of 5-10 things which must get done before I go to sleep. Usually I’m braindead after 8pm or so - and so I really hustle to get everything done quickly - usually by 2pm so I can go running or whatever I’m doing that day. I usually write my MITs down on paper so I can take them with me easily. I find the PDA interface not as good as paper yet. Thanks for the post Leo! - Vern

saratela Says:

July 21st, 2008, 5:31 am

“Sometimes small things can make big differences” it’s a nice quote. I am agree with you.

what is going on, blog Says:

July 31st, 2008, 15:32 pm

Sounds like a prestigious place of learning? Either way getting the most important things done early will have you feeling good the rest of the day.

Rahi Says:

August 11th, 2008, 17:18 pm

I regularly read out your posts. They are simply great and very helpful and when i feel low on my productivity i read out your blog posts to get me back on track.

I read out it somewhere. Consider your day as a beaker. Have the stone as per the importance of task. If you try to fill the beaker with small stones than there will be no space for bigger ones, but if you fill the larger ones first then smaller one can fit in between them.

Kelly Says:

August 21st, 2008, 17:12 pm

Your blogs rule. Thank you!

Free traffic Says:

October 13th, 2008, 23:24 pm

You MIT’s concept changed my daily routine as much as the GTD 2 minutes rule!
It’ just genius!
Thanks!!!

Valeria | TimelessLessons Says:

November 7th, 2008, 9:50 am

Thank you for another great post Leo, your MIT’s concept changed my daily routine. And doing it first thing in the morning is definitely the way to go for me.

Veronica Says:

November 9th, 2008, 13:55 pm

Spending your whole day without a cause and then you realize that you just did nothing and wasted it makes you angry.

Note Thing Says:

December 26th, 2008, 19:01 pm

Finishing MIT’s first is good to feel better for the rest of the day. But there are some MITs which you don’t even want to start and postpone continously. I hate it when I’am in that state.

sanjeev Says:

December 30th, 2008, 13:51 pm

I have been spending most of my spare time in holidays reading these excellent posts. I wish I knew about this blog before.

As Dennis mentioned it would be great if these post are available in printable format too.

cheap website designer adelaide Says:

January 12th, 2009, 21:41 pm

There really is nothing worse than wasting a whole day doing nothing. When you wake up and have some sort of goal you feel like you are spending your life on something meaningful. Great post Leo! The good ol days!

Anelly Says:

January 21st, 2009, 10:37 am

I totally agree you. I propose some things to do during day both related to work and home. In most of cases i followed the schedule but if i pass over one thing i might be disappointed of not completing it. It’s a great thing to accomplish dreams either you are home or at work.

Chicago Shoes Says:

January 21st, 2009, 13:52 pm

Three things huh? While that sounds simple I bet I could get a lot more done just trying to be simple rather than all my planners and PDA’s. I have several planners because I can’t get comfortable with just one. I work at a busy Chicago shoe store and am looking for good ways to manage my time better.

Thanks!

Jeff - Pet Meds Says:

February 12th, 2009, 11:16 am

I used to think that I do hundreds of tasks each day. What’s that 3 tasks thing. I never really payed attention to it (I guess I heard something similar from Tim Farris). I just got your book and I thought lets give it a try. In last three days I couldn’t finish all three each day. So today, right after this comment, I’m getting started on my today’s top three (most of them are postponed from previous days :)

Best wood splitter Says:

February 27th, 2009, 7:14 am

And that makes all the difference in the world. Each day, I’ve done something to make my dreams come true. It’s built into my morning routine: set a next-action to accomplish for one of my goals. And so it happens each day, automatically.

I now always try to come up with the most important and also most difficult task for me and I will try to do it as soon as possible.

holly jenson Says:

March 26th, 2009, 7:37 am

Sounds like a great idea in the path to reaching your goals through little steps

Keep it up!

Tom Says:

March 26th, 2009, 11:43 am

And that makes all the difference in the world. Each day, I’ve done something to make my dreams come true. It’s built into my morning routine: set a next-action to accomplish for one of my goals. And so it happens each day, automatically. I wish you well

Enrico Romane Says:

April 8th, 2009, 6:55 am

This is so incredibly simple and works so incredibly well. I realized anyway that I work best early in the day, so from now on I will try to do my MIT after breakfast. Another advantage of that: I feel good during the day, because I got important stuff done, instead of feeling bad because I procastinate it.

Motivational Says:

April 11th, 2009, 18:33 pm

It’s also important that you have a purpose to what you’re doing. I remember years ago when I didn’t really have a purpose, although I still make a to do list, but it was mainly full of things that really didn’t matter. All it did was just keep me busy. At the end of the day, my life wasn’t that much different. I developed a good habit though, but without a clear purpose, your tasks will probably be pointless.

Traveler Says:

May 2nd, 2009, 16:02 pm

I love your style of writing. You have a way with discussing touchy subjects too. Thanks again! This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing this great article!

Ride on mowers Says:

May 7th, 2009, 10:27 am

Leo, you summed it great. I think that you had an impact on many lives and I congratulate you for this.

free divorce papers Says:

June 5th, 2009, 3:44 am

“Another key: do your MITs first thing in the morning..”

I will definitely agree. If it is really important, it needs to be done the soonest possible time; therefore, it should be accomplished early in the morning.

free music Says:

June 17th, 2009, 6:15 am

Some people are easier to pick up from than others. I could never get through Stephen Covey.

Coffee Says:

June 22nd, 2009, 15:35 pm

always focus on the morning finished all of the most important things,
In general people just only can work effectively only 4 hour a day

Ivan Maminta Says:

June 24th, 2009, 15:37 pm

A good way of somplying my life. I wish I’d have found this article years ago!

Fan Site Says:

June 25th, 2009, 16:37 pm

Sounds like a great idea in the path to reaching your goals through little steps

Keep it up!