Being a millionaire businesswoman and investor comes with its fair share of challenges, but Barbara Corcoran has found a system that helps her stay productive and organized. In a recent Q&A session, the 74-year-old “Shark Tank” star shared her calendar strategy that has proven to be effective in achieving her goals.
In today’s digital age, it may be surprising to hear that Corcoran prefers to write her calendar instead of using online scheduling tools. However, studies have shown that there is science behind the effectiveness of writing things down. Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University, conducted a study with 267 participants and found that those who wrote down their aspirations were 42% more likely to achieve them. Corcoran’s preference for pen and paper aligns with this research, as she believes that writing things down helps her remember them better.
According to Corcoran, the first step in her calendar system is to clearly define your goals. Before making any entries in the calendar, take the time to make a list of what is most important to you and what you want to prioritize. Corcoran shared that for her, TV exposure and beauty treatments are at the top of her list. By identifying these priorities, she is able to hammer them out in her calendar in advance.
Corcoran’s “secret” to staying organized and productive lies in assigning goals to specific days and grouping related tasks together. She suggests declaring a specific day for each project or goal and focusing on accomplishing the tasks associated with it on that designated day. For example, Corcoran puts all her media appearances on one day to avoid scattering them throughout the week and causing unnecessary stress. This approach allows her to maintain focus and tackle each goal at the most suitable time.
While Corcoran’s method may work for her, it may not be the best strategy for everyone. Research conducted by Maryam Kouchaki, a professor of management at Northwestern University, suggests that focusing solely on completing easy tasks can limit learning and overall productivity in the long run. While it may provide a short-term sense of satisfaction and reduced anxiety, it hampers growth and skill improvement. Kouchaki advises that a combination of easy and difficult tasks is a more effective strategy. This approach provides a sense of accomplishment while also encouraging focus on challenging tasks.
Regardless of whether you prefer to tackle easy tasks first or have a mix of simple and challenging ones, the key is to have clarity on your objectives. Corcoran emphasizes the importance of grouping related obligations together to create an organized calendar. In the past, she admits to having things scattered all over the place, but she now fully embraces the power of grouping. By clustering similar tasks together, you can better allocate time and energy to complete them efficiently.
Barbara Corcoran’s calendar system offers valuable insights into productivity and organization. While her preference for writing things down may go against the grain of digital scheduling, research supports the effectiveness of this approach. Getting clear about goals and assigning them to specific days helps maintain focus and prioritize tasks. However, it is crucial to strike a balance between easy and difficult tasks to encourage growth and skill improvement. Ultimately, the key to success lies in being clear on your objectives and using effective organizational strategies to achieve them.
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