Embrace the Matrix
No touching Keanu.
Last week I wrote about the power of the whiteboard of worry - getting the noise out of your head and written down, so you can do something with it (other than continuing to worry). This week it’s my two top “things” for then turning the worry into a structured and actionable plan.
Before we get to the matrix. First up, three simple yet game-changing circles.
Take your worry list and pop it into the three categories. Control are all those things that you have complete, or near complete, agency over. Influence are the things that you can’t control directly, but can exert influence over - for example by having a conversation or providing useful information to someone else. The f*ck it circle is for everything else.
Mentally and emotionally, the aim is to spend something like 80% of the time on the things you can control, 20% on those you can influence and (ideally) no time or energy at all on the rest of it. So if you’re lying awake at night worrying about how to bring about world peace or solve the climate crisis - stop! Unless of course you can, and want, to do something to bring it into your spheres of control or influence - like “join a march for peace” or “get better at recycling things”.
Once you’ve got all your worrisome things into the three circles, a simple prioritisation matrix for the “control” items is the next useful tool to create further order and a sense of what needs to be done (or not). I like a nice Eisenhower matrix - urgent vs. important.
I have no idea whether Eisenhower invented or created said matrix*, but I like to imagine him either as WW2 General or as President, popping things onto his to-do list that make my whiteboard of worry pale into insignificance. Reclaim Italy from the Nazis. Lunch with Churchill. Win the Space Race. Sort the Cold War. Civil Rights next steps?
*Just Googled and turns out he did. Stephen Covey then made it famous as part of his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. As I am only moderately effective, I’ve no idea what the other six habits are but if you want to learn more then get the book. Covey | Seven Habits
I prefer “more” and “less” urgent and important rather than the more binary yes or no version above. But in any event, my favourite box is bottom left. So often when I feel overwhelmed enough to need the whiteboard, and the circles, and Eisenhower, my simultaneous mental default is that I have to sort it all out myself, and that delegation is somehow lazy or giving up. Particularly if you’re trying to build talented teams around you, delegation (with appropriate support if needed) is the key to developing others and giving them the chance to shine.
The fact that I have a favourite box on a prioritisation matrix probably means I need to get out more. Exactly what I am going to do now as it’s a sunny Sunday in Somerset and the dogs won’t walk themselves!
Have a great week one and all, and let me know what you think of circles and presidential matrices in the comments 😊