This is the fourth in a series of weekly Productivity Prompts - quick, simple tips or practices gleaned from productivity-related books or blogs that have helped me better manage my work, my time, or move things forward.

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At the beginning of each day, ask yourself:

"What three things must I accomplish today?"

Or, using a slightly different tone, which I prefer:

"If I crossed off these three tasks today I'd be a really happy camper."

Then focus on getting those three tasks done and do a happy dance.

This could also work well on a weekly basis: "If I could get these [insert number here] tasks done this week I'd be extremely happy with myself and ready for a blissful task-free guilt-free weekend of lounging around doing nothing."

Just remember to keep it manageable and realistic to your time frame; it's easy to become overly optimistic!

Credits/references:

Zen Habits, by Leo Babauta.
In Making Ideas Happen, Scott Belsky proposes using a "daily focus area": a focus list in which you put the top five or less tasks you want to accomplish that day. The focus area has to be cleared before you go bed at night so it's in your best interest to keep it short.

This sad little scribbled crumpled up piece of paper has been guiding my every waking moment for the past three days:

pre-road trip to-do list

It's my pre-trip to-do list. The items with the X's didn't make the final cut (as if I'd have the time to bulk freeze corn and strawberries).

Tomorrow morning I fill up the travel mug, load up the car and head east to the land of the moose, my Acadian roots and the salty sea air. I'm heading home to New Brunswick.

It's my first solo trip there in a few years, the last time I drove on my own was during my sabbatical in 2006. It's a 12-hour trip one-way split over two days.

D.'s making me two CDs for the occasion: one full of sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs disco tunes and another with surprise road trip tunes of his choosing. They'll come in handy during the two hours spent crossing central New Brunswick through the mountains and the woods where radio signals just don't make it through.

I look forward to what's waiting for me on the other side of those mountains though - family, the sea, and Mom's chocolate chip cookies. What more could a girl ask for.

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Note: I'll be celebrating my beloved Fête des Acadiens on Acadian soil on Monday, but rest assured that next week's Productivity Prompt post will be up as planned. I may even have a few more goodies for you here later in the week so keep visiting!

Productivity Prompt: 3 MITs (Most Important Tasks)

Road Trip!