Are you getting things done?

If you're in the middle of some type of digitization-related project (or any type of project for that matter), have you kept up with everything that is on your list or are some things "sliding"? We tend to work on the things we like and push everything else to the background. Or we work on the items that seem like priorities (to someone) and forget everything else. Yet it is important to get many things done (if not everything).

So before you head home for the weekend, take 20 minutes and:

• Make a list of everything you need to be working on, then prioritize the list. (If you don't remember everything, that's okay. Listing as much as possible will still be helpful.) THEN schedule time to work on the things you have listed. If it helps, group things by category, then schedule time to work on things in that category.
  
• Clean you work area, so that the things you need to pay attention to are visible.
  
• If there are items that should be delegated, then delegate them.
  
• If you find items that you're doing because you want to (not because you are suppose to), re-think whether you really have time for them.
  
• Think about using "down time" (like when your computer is booting up or rebooting) to take care of some of those small/quick items on your list.

Now you're thinking that this is a more than 20 minute task, and it might be. But likely you'll make a huge dent in the task in 20 minutes, so it is worthwhile doing.

And do one more thing before you walk out the door. Write down one thing you want to learn next week about "whatever" (digitization, preserving digital assets, metadata, etc.). Plant that idea and plant it on paper. Once planted, I bet you'll find that the right information or opportunity to learn exactly that.