Comments on: How to figure out which tasks you can ignore http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Sun, 20 Jul 2008 07:00:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Employee Evolution - Career vs Love: Which Would You Pick? http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-131495 Employee Evolution - Career vs Love: Which Would You Pick? Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:01:27 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-131495 [...] browsing through Penelope Trunk’s blog, I came across an interesting post on how crazy her life became when she started writing two columns, a blog and started publicity for [...] […] browsing through Penelope Trunk’s blog, I came across an interesting post on how crazy her life became when she started writing two columns, a blog and started publicity for […]

]]> By: Career vs Love: Which Would You Pick? « Babble On by Kelvin Lee http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-127890 Career vs Love: Which Would You Pick? « Babble On by Kelvin Lee Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:50:04 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-127890 [...] Career vs Love: Which Would You Pick? While browsing through Penelope Trunk’s blog, I came across this interesting post on how crazy her life became when she started writing 2 columns, a blog and started publicity for her .... [...] […] Career vs Love: Which Would You Pick? While browsing through Penelope Trunk’s blog, I came across this interesting post on how crazy her life became when she started writing 2 columns, a blog and started publicity for her …. […]

]]> By: cindy*staged4more http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-126321 cindy*staged4more Wed, 19 Dec 2007 01:35:13 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-126321 Awww I really like this post. It really is the life of a sole business person working for his/hers own company. It's like that story of stopping and sharpening the saw, sometimes you just have to take time to make sure you are okay, so your business will be too ;) Happy holidays, Cindy Awww I really like this post. It really is the life of a sole business person working for his/hers own company. It’s like that story of stopping and sharpening the saw, sometimes you just have to take time to make sure you are okay, so your business will be too ;)

Happy holidays,
Cindy

]]> By: John http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-126127 John Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:57:53 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-126127 Excellent post. This not only applies to individuals but organizations as well. The worn out phrase "Because we've always done it this way" comes to mind. We should always be asking ourselves if what we're doing is the best use of our time and looking for ways to optimize our time. Excellent post. This not only applies to individuals but organizations as well. The worn out phrase “Because we’ve always done it this way” comes to mind. We should always be asking ourselves if what we’re doing is the best use of our time and looking for ways to optimize our time.

]]> By: transparency, fundamentalist moral attitudes and shoulder pads | mad housewife http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-126050 transparency, fundamentalist moral attitudes and shoulder pads | mad housewife Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:36:58 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-126050 [...] fundamentalist self-harm can be a very arrogant thing to do. That’s why I’m following Penelope Trunk’s advice today by spending at least 3 seconds deciding which of my mammoth list of seasonal activities not to [...] […] fundamentalist self-harm can be a very arrogant thing to do. That’s why I’m following Penelope Trunk’s advice today by spending at least 3 seconds deciding which of my mammoth list of seasonal activities not to […]

]]> By: Dale http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-126009 Dale Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:14:18 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-126009 This post is insightful. Often though we must guard against the tendency to validate our decisions, after we have made them, simply to placate our egos. No one wants to see themselves as foolish or to think that they have made a mistake in an important life/work decision. So we "FIND" reasons to prove the validity of our occasionally incorrect decisions. This prevents us from making the headway we otherwise would. One way to avoid this is to establish performance measures for objective delivery, when making major decisions. I guess what I'm trying to say is be ready to dispassionately analyse any and all decisions you make, particularly about tasks you take on or discard. Don't be pig-headed and continue a course of action after it has failed to deliver the results you expected, in the reasonable timeframe that you expected it to be delivered. Depending upon your goals, some tasks may not or should not be ignored. Just my 2 cents worth:) P.S. Penny, is there any way that there could be spell check added to this posting mechanism. I feel so silly having to go back and forth to MS Word to spell check stuff. Just something on my Christmas wishlist, along with ripped abs and arms like tree trunks:) This post is insightful.

Often though we must guard against the tendency to validate our decisions, after we have made them, simply to placate our egos.

No one wants to see themselves as foolish or to think that they have made a mistake in an important life/work decision. So we “FIND” reasons to prove the validity of our occasionally incorrect decisions. This prevents us from making the headway we otherwise would.

One way to avoid this is to establish performance measures for objective delivery, when making major decisions.

I guess what I’m trying to say is be ready to dispassionately analyse any and all decisions you make, particularly about tasks you take on or discard. Don’t be pig-headed and continue a course of action after it has failed to deliver the results you expected, in the reasonable timeframe that you expected it to be delivered.

Depending upon your goals, some tasks may not or should not be ignored.

Just my 2 cents worth:)

P.S. Penny, is there any way that there could be spell check added to this posting mechanism. I feel so silly having to go back and forth to MS Word to spell check stuff. Just something on my Christmas wishlist, along with ripped abs and arms like tree trunks:)

]]> By: Focus on What Matters Most » article » TimvanderWeide http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-125950 Focus on What Matters Most » article » TimvanderWeide Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:14:14 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-125950 [...] been following Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist blog with much interest. Posts like yesterday’s about “How to figure out which tasks [...] […] been following Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist blog with much interest. Posts like yesterday’s about “How to figure out which tasks […]

]]> By: Don B. http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-125923 Don B. Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:28:09 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-125923 Good insight. Took you a while to figure out you may have limitations. It is good to have more options that you can do. It is wise to know you can not entertain all options. Good insight. Took you a while to figure out you may have limitations. It is good to have more options that you can do. It is wise to know you can not entertain all options.

]]> By: Dina http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-125726 Dina Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:03:56 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-125726 I thank God every day I'm not a Mom. I thank God every day I’m not a Mom.

]]> By: Alice Bachini-Smith http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-125715 Alice Bachini-Smith Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:53:45 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/12/17/how-to-figure-out-which-tasks-you-can-ignore/#comment-125715 "I found the time I needed by deciding which parts of my job to stop doing." I'm going to try really hard to remember that! Wonderful. “I found the time I needed by deciding which parts of my job to stop doing.”

I’m going to try really hard to remember that!

Wonderful.

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