Eat the Frog or top tricks to be on time with everything

Hi dear colleagues and guests!

This little paper is not about QA specifically. It's about organizing work and other affairs overall.

Sure, there are a lot of stuff written about this topic, nothing new. I'm writing just because the more people I talk to and more interns I adopt, the better I see how harmful it can be - not to know about the very basic principles of time management.

Harmful for job, but not only. It's also extremely bad for mental health and personal life, as unfinished business keeps people nervous and tensed, not focused and thus - maybe - not so successful and happy as they could be.

Let's come to business! Below I share those main principles which I practice and find very helpful in practice.

1. Eat the frog

"Eat That Frog"
by Brian Tracy

First of all - constantly sort out your top of unpleasant, non comfort things.

We constantly put such things aside for later. But here is the truth: such things ruins your concentration and internal peace.

Every single day find your frog: determine what business is the most hard for you to do.

End then - "eat the frog immediately": cope with this in the very beginning of the day. Or at least start doing it, if it is expected to take some time and is not short.

Figuratively saying: Eat the frog first or it will constantly come back (later - with more friends) and eat you from inside.

This really makes you more free and less tensed. Try it!

Not to forget about this trick, I have a little frog-toy on my working desk as well I usually present similar reminders to my interns, just like in the picture above.

2. 5 min things

All the things which take 5-to-10 minutes or less have to be resolved immediately. No reason to put them aside. Just make them done and forget about it or start using it's results.

I'm talking about short answer to e-mail, calling somewhere to find out how's business going, go and get some device or parcel, get back something bothered or ( ! ) put your hand of help to your colleague or friend.

Numerous short things have a tendency to summarize. So if not done at once, they might raise as a snowball and let you down at some point.

3. Push till 101%

You probably know this example:

• if everyday you do your business for 99%, it comes to only approx. 3% per year (0.99 ^ 365 = 0.026);
• but if you do your beast at least for 101% every single day, you are getting 3700% ( 1.01 ^ 365 = 37 ).

Of course life is a way more prosaic and not so straightforward as lovely-mother-Math, but this rule makes sense.

 Need to write 20 test cases today? Good! Write 21, do the favor to yourself for the next day :)

 I never fell asleep if have not answered e-mails / slack or skype messages.
If you schedule your work day (which is a good practice by itself), all the items in your plan are to be reviewed at the end of your working day and be either fulfilled or deferred to the specific time with a specific action point.

Even when leaving a workplace it should be left clean and all things are to be put to their places. It will save your time net day.

4. The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory
No reason to try to remember everything. Organize your information in notes. Nothing to add here.

The only thing here - is to define the most appropriate way of making notes for you personally.

I like to write, draw and make sketches on A4 papers. Once a week I look through them and sort out. Something goes to trash, other notes are organized with respect to necessity and topics.

If need to write down something on the run, I just use a notepad on my phone. Then sending notes to myself via e-mail.

5. Last day presupposition

If something should be done but takes longer than I can do today, I try to finish work till some incremental result. The one which is easy to continue from or might be demonstrated if asked. Or even might be transferred to another person in case of emergency or unexpected business trip, shift in priorities, etc.

Work as this day is the last one.

Every. Single. Day.

6. Constant prioritization

There are a lot of things on your plate to do and hands are down, because you don't know where to start?

Prioritize them.

"That's an advise! Like I wouldn't guess without you..." you'll say to this :)

Wait, here's my approach.

• At first find not the most important but... the least important and not urgent things. And delegate them. Or just move them to trash. There is no way to do ALL the things. Just properly think about what you can and should remove from your scope at all.
• After that find top priority issues and start paralleling them: if some additional info should be requested - start e-mail thread; if some task has dependencies, address them; if a solution needs discussion, set and forward an appointment to participants; if some automatic process take long time, launch it or ping the appropriate person; if working from home and laundry needs cleanup - activate your washing machine and don't forget about turning on the teapot :)
• After that just grab the top priority thing (if several, actually no matter which one is to start from) and do it until done with a total concentration. Then have a short rest (it's madatory!). And then take another one.
• The point here - check your scope and perform re-prioritization as frequently as it makes sense for you.

7. Appreciate yourself

When something really important is done (or even not so important but pleasant to do), don't forget to slightly appreciate yourself. It might be anything - cup of coffee, some small or big present, going to cinema or attending any activity which inspires you.

That will help you to establish a habit to make things done AND get pleasure of that.

Well, that's the main for now. A bit later I will share with you my ways to cope with really unusual and complicated tasks.

Good luck!

P.S.:I would appreciate if you share your ways of coping with things and surviving in a rush environment.
Share your tips and tricks in comments or via private e-mails.