The ABCDE Method – 6 Steps to Implementing it within Teodesk

As we explained in one of our previous blog posts, the ABCDE method is a great way to prioritize your to-do list. It gets us away from just feeling busy all the time to actually doing what needs to be done.

Since we see so much potential in using this method, we decided to see how it could be combined with Teodesk to achieve the best result possible. We’ll guide you through the process, so you can really get a grasp on how efficient it is.

STEP 1 – Create a new workboard and list all of the things you need to do in a day

To start organizing your daily tasks in Teodesk, you first need to create a your “ABCDE workboard”.
Once you’re finished creating your new planning space, you can start adding stages for each letter. They’ll be vital for all the organizing we need to do.

Your new workboard should look something like this:

 

Now, list all the things you need to do in a day. This step is important, because it gives us a good perspective on everything that is waiting for us. By doing this for a few minutes each morning, you’re minimizing the chance of forgetting to do something important.

Moving the tasks from stage to stage is very simple, so there is no need to worry if you need to reorganize something along the way. Just drag the task you want to move to the next stage and drop it in the field that appears when you hover over the stage.

 

Step 2 – Choose highest priority tasks

What the ABCDE method suggests is that you choose 1-3 tasks that have the highest priority. Try to pick those that will really bring you closer to the achievement of your goals.

The whole point of choosing 3 most important tasks is to avoid the trap of doing less important things and keeping those really relevant (for your work to flow in the right direction) on hold.

So, be smart and think hard before choosing the tasks that have the biggest potential downsides if you don’t accomplish them, and the biggest potential upsides if you do accomplish them.

If the wind changes, no problem. You can always save the task for later when things come back to normal. Teodesk allows you to archive and hence save any task you may be needing in the future but don’t need in front of you at the moment. So, if one of your top 3 tasks stops being on top of your priority list, no worries. Just save it for later, when it comes back to its place or slide among the “common” tasks.

STEP 3 – Choose medium priority tasks

Next step is to gather all tasks you SHOULD do. Consider those as the tadpoles of your work life. Tasks B span from returning a not-so-important call to reviewing your inbox.

Of course, B Tasks should be done only when all A’s are completed.

STEP 4 – Choose lowest priority tasks

Your next move is to be rational and define all the tasks that if not done – HAVE NO (serious) consequences. Of course no task should be left out, but there always needs to be a sense of priority.

You can assign a C to the items that don’t really contribute to the achievement of your goals and that aren’t strictly work related.

STEP 5 – Choose which tasks to delegate

Sometimes it’s better to hand off a portion of your work to a colleague more skilled in that area. By freeing up your schedule a bit, you’ll be able to focus better on your other assignments.

Once you’re done delegating, you can keep track of their progress within the same work board.

STEP 6 – Eliminate tasks that don’t matter

At the end of the day, some things are just not worth your time. Eliminate them and spend the extra time on the As and Bs. By moving all the tasks we feel don’t matter to the E stage, we are also giving ourselves time to think about them some more.

At the end of the they, if you still feel that they have no real value to you, just archive or delete them.

By using this method you’ll be able to have a much clearer idea of what your top priorities for the day are. Depending on your job, this way of organizing could come in handy for weekly and monthly plans as well.

And since the workboards can be kept private, you can even use this method for sorting out responsibilities in your personal life!