Decide Once and For Now

Before trips my wife uses a written list of items to pack for our family. Some friends of ours cook brats for dinner every Saturday. As a recruiter, I use a chart to visualize and track my phone, text, and email communications to candidates. 

All of these have something in common: decisions about what to do next are offloaded onto a predefined process. My wife doesn’t have to think about what we should take on a trip every time we hit the road. My friends know what to buy and how long it will take to prepare dinner on Saturdays. When I sit down to follow up with recruiting prospects, I look at my chart and perform the next step whether it be sending a text or scheduling an interview. 

In contrast, not having a process might lead to different outcomes. Perhaps packing is stressful and important items are left at home. Perhaps not knowing what’s for dinner leads to family friction and more last minute trips to the grocery store. Certainly in my case with recruiting, no chart meant that my work was more sporadic, less efficient, and more exhausting.  

By defining a process you decide once and conserve your mental energy. It is also not forever. Each iteration of the process is an occasion for learning and improvements can be incorporated over time. Packing lists become more complete, menus improve, and work becomes more effective. 

This week, I invite you to ask: 

What is an area of my life that would benefit from writing down a process? What would my process be? When will I write it down? When will I use it next? 

God bless,
Dan