No, it’s not a catchy new dance move. It’s a time management hack that you can use to get more out of your time/day without feeling overwhelmed by your never-ending to-do list.
For 2022, one of the words in my business is prioritize. The problem with being good at a lot of different skills, is that you get tasked with all the things and then it becomes harder to see what needs to get done now versus what can wait versus what is a like to have, but not important in this moment. Do you have a task list that looks like mines?
If you do, I want to share with you this time management hack that I came across called the 4 D’s of Time Management. Toggl shares some of the origins of this method here, if you’re interested. Now, I’ve seen a few people change up the D’s to represent different terms, but the translation I liked the best is Do, Delegate, Defer, and Delete. I especially like that word delete.
4 D’s of Time Management
Each D is self-explanatory but here is a quick breakdown of what each means in the context of your task list and time manageemnt.
DO TASKS – These are things that will remain on your to do list. They are also tasks that only you can do. If you want to do less, teach someone else how to do what you do.
DELEGATE TASKS – These are the tasks that you will assign to others. Having a team allows you to get help with these tasks on your lists.
DEFER TASKS – These are the tasks that can be completed later.
DELETE TASKS – These are the tasks that will not be completed at all.
Now that you understand what they represent. Here’s how to put this into practice.
Step 1: Create your to-do list
Create a sheet with two columns. One large column for tasks and a smaller column for the action that will be taken. What are all the things that are currently on your plate that needs to get done? Write them all down at the start of your day or week in the first column. Include those items that have been lingering on your list for weeks.
TASK LIST COLUMN
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
D – ACTION COLUMN
Do / Delegate / Defer / Delete
Do / Delegate / Defer / Delete
Do / Delegate / Defer / Delete
Step 2: Decide which items to do, delegate, defer, or delete
In the second column on your sheet, this is where you will determine which items get done, delegated, deferred, or deleted. Use the below questions to help guide your final decisions for each task.
- Do Questions: Does this need to be done right away? Am I the only one with the skills to get this done? Is there a negative impact to anything else if I don’t get this done soon?
- Delegate Questions: Can someone else on my team complete this task? Will it save time and provide results sooner to have them complete the task?
- Defer Questions: Does this task need to be completed in this moment?
- Delete Questions: What value will I get from completing this task? Is this a must have or a nice to have?
Step 3: Stick with your final decisions
Once you have decided what to do with every item on your to do list, STICK WITH IT! If you’ve already went through the logic of why something is on the delete list, don’t bring it back two weeks from now because you have more time. If you find more time, work on your deferred items or go do something else that matters or adds values. This goes for everything else on your list. If you’ve delegated it, then trust the person that you assigned it to, to get it done.
Alternative Sorting Method
Here is an alternative method from the Four Week MBA of breaking it down by importance and urgency.
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How do you manage your to do list? Have you tried the 4-D method before? Share below.