Coaching Stories No 14 - Segregating the Big Rocks, the Small Rocks and the Pebbles and Sand

 This is too overwhelming. How can I do so many things at once?

That's a good question. It boils down to segregating the important and the urgent and having different strategies for each. For example, as a writer I may want to write a novel, a film script, a newspaper article and my blogs or some copy editing work. I need to know what is important and what is urgent (or rather, what is easily achievable).

Clearly my most important BIG ROCK is the novel or film script

A) Novel/ Film script - BIG ROCKS ARE LONG TERM AND BIGGEST IMPACT

Strategy - this is a long term one. I need to identify the theme, research, begin work and set aside three- six months at least to get to first draft. Even after that it may or may not work. But it has to be done because it will have the BIGGEST IMPACT. 

So the strategy is to follow a disciplined effort of 2-3 hours of work FIRST THING every day and get about 2-3 pages done. In three months, it would be a decent first draft of about 250 pages.

Every day I have to do this as most important despite not seeing results.

B) Newspaper articles etc - SMALL ROCKS ARE MEDIUM TERM AND MEDIUM IMPACT

These will earn decent money and will also fetch me a name/brand to many readers. It is good to have on my resume. So I will try to write one article at least once a week and get it published. It may pay me 3000-6000 rupees, will help me stay relevant, help me explore ideas, help me form a compilation of these which can go into a book.

So, the strategy is to write one 600-800 word article once a week on a particular topic and get it published. It will keep the flow going.

C) Copy editing work/blogs - PEBBLES/ SAND ARE SHORT TERM AND HAVE LEAST IMPACT

Though it still adds value, it has the least impact and needs least concentration or effort so I would fit it into a time when I do not have to stretch myself too much. I will do it because it helps me relax, supports my other work and is still pushing the boat forward. It may not earn money or may earn very little but it adds to the overall effort.

This way we save the most energy and best time for the most important work, and less for B and C. Clearly A will have less to show in the beginning, B will have a little to show and C is easy because you can see immediate results. The metaphor could be like planting a tree, having a fruit store or buying fruit in the market. Or building a house, renting a house, staying in a hotel. Or whatever.  

The same holds good for sales, product building or anything. Just make sure your As are big and cause a big impact.