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Turn Your Do-List Into A Game

Written by: Craig Jennings

Article Overview: The do-list is a burden we carry around, day in, day out. When we have nearly completed it, we or someone else dumps more "do" on it. It's a game you never win. Turning your do-list into a game, by making it a scorecard, shifts the paradigm. Now it becomes a game - a game which you can win or lose, a game where you don't win 'em all, a game which is both challenging and entertaining. What a difference!

Turn Your Do-List Into A Game

Turning your do-list into a game.
A special coaching process provides a new way to motivate yourself.
The purpose of this exercise is to find a new way to motivate the marvelous machine called “you.” I offer it in surprise and delight, after the sometimes balky machine called “me” found himself working far more effectively, and enjoying it hugely.

Call it “Playing to Win!”

While few of us play to lose, it’s amazing how little the concept of winning figures in business or personal conversations.

Most of us prefer winning, although many are concerned that we not win at someone else’s expense. And, if you’re risk-averse, where the idea of losing is really frightening, then going for a win could seem like a pretty dangerous game. The pure entrepreneur expects occasional losing – if you don’t lose any, you’re not taking enough risks. But frequently, both winning and losing are sacrificed before the altar of comfort. And some of us will fudge the win in order to avoid the loss. Would you agree?

Now comes Dave Buck, president of Coachville, who has decided to turn coaching on its ear! His definition is that, if coaching isn’t about winning, it’s not coaching.
And the idea of winning is curiously rewarding. It really talks to me. Here’s an example which has hit me where I live – at the dreaded do-list!

(If you don’t struggle occasionally with your do-list, this email is not for you!) I have long had a theory that the guy with the longest do-list loses! And now and again, I think that could be me. (see below) As employees in business, most of us work our butts off trying to shorten up the list, and then our boss pours some more “do” on us. Or, as entrepreneurs, we set tasks for ourselves and then address them – with elation, with resignation, with a sense of duty, with whatever motivation we’ve been able to generate at the moment. Sometimes we attack with enthusiasm, sometimes with gritted teeth. I won’t say anything at all about procrastination or avoidance.

This is what my do-list usually looks like.

Do-list- Craig Jennings
Week of 2-20-2006

Lift weights
Call Karen Curry re Kleinfelder
Create new schedule for 310
Call Marc Solomon - resked
Complete Mohan's Team Calls
Find where register business in Manhattan
Michael Ottaviano
Kimberly referral
Kim George flyer
Sussle referral
Appointment with Tiger
Jan Jasper
Check Beth - MDQ
Reinstate Backup, new drive- mitch
Repromise - do'list = put it in time.
Blog research
Call Stacey Morris re Public Speaking
Names and addresses to Study Groups.- Niches, Triads, Proficiencies
Communicate with LA group re: Manhattan recipient of business registration
Create program for Gordon
Discuss proposal w Maryann
Create Newsletter
Naomi at SR
Ed Kleinfeld - schedule appointment
Arber - protest
Arber – solution
More below↓↓↓

I delete things off the list as they get done. Damn, I sure have a lot to do. Where do I start?

I start by turning it into a game!

Can we entrepreneurs get our butts more quickly and fully in gear if we create a game? Could your employees get into action if there were a scorekeeper, and daily winners? Before we’re done, I’ll show you how I transform this very ugly do-list, but first, what kind of a game do we have in mind?

Coachville uses the pattern language of sports to re-interpret what we often see as drudgery.

1. It’s a game you can play and win, every day.
2. It’s a part of a schedule – a series of games set out before you.
3. Your schedule is part of a season – which ends with a change in focus, and rest.
A human factor, entitled Periodicity, comes in here – and I’ll save it for a later newsletter.

Putting yourself in a game includes challenge, reward, and fun. It models business practice and human practice pretty nicely- you’d rather win than lose, and winning is very nice indeed! Not only that, but losing is permitted, practically essential.

This is really important: If you win the game today, great. If you lose today, no big deal. There’s another game coming tomorrow, and you can play full-out the next time, without shame or guilt or punishment (either self-administered or otherwise.) When each day is a game in itself, there’s little opportunity to spiral down into depression or inaction – to paraphrase blithe Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With The Wind” – Tomorrow Is Another Game!

Most of us enjoy games, particularly if we think we can do well in them. So here’s a game where you set the rules! You define what a “win” looks like. you'd think you could do well if you made the rules? Of course you could. So let’s go for it.

Game-building practice.: First, assign a point score to each of the items you might tackle this week. Most of them will be worth 1 point. Items that take a lot of work, or items that you’ve put off for a while, might carry extra points – I’ve set a maximum of 5 for myself. Next, set a total number of points to strive for, and declare that a winning game. Then, play to win! Here’s how I structure it for myself.

First, I build a scorecard. (Example below.) I take my “do-list” and cut and paste it into Excel. I put it in the J or 10th column. That leaves me 9 columns to the left of my line-by-line do list.

1. The first column is for titles

2. I label the next 6 leftmost columns Sat/Sun, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday and Friday.

3. I label the 8th column: Points. And I leave a narrow column for execution – when I’m complete on a task, I insert an “x” there.

4. I set the 6 day columns to total at the top using the =sum or ? sign. Now, any time I put a number anywhere in those columns, it adds to my total at the top.

5. I decide that I want 15 points for a win. If I get 15 or more in a given day, I have a Win – under 15 will be a Lose. BTW, if you’re not Excel-friendly and would like a little help with the setup, I’ll be happy to give you a hand – just call.


In this format, I can't show you the spreadsheet I put in my newsletter. But if you work for yourself, whatever you develop is OK. I'll be happy to give you a copy of my model if you'd like to explore the possibilities further.


Now you’ve probably noticed that I only lost two games that week. And you probably know who was keeping score! Did I cheat? Was I a little generous with points on Thursday? Maybe, but I got a great deal of work accomplished, and I had a great time doing it! You also might notice that I didn’t complete Mohan’s Team Calls – bottom row. No “x,” no points assigned. So, the following week, I started out by listing all the incomplete tasks, and doubling the points for each of them.

I invite you to try this game. My experience is that it’s totally positive. I’m setting up my coaching clients with this, one at a time, and using this concept for my speaking gigs as well.

What’s yet to come?
Maybe a weekly game made up out of the totals for each day. I got 109 points that week, thanks to a Kick-Butt game on Monday. Should I set up a monthly game for 400 points?
Or maybe 500 points? How about financial outcomes? Want an income measure to be part of your game – figure how 1-5 points might be awarded if you had sales of $X,000 to $Y,000.

The long-range implications are really outstanding. Whether you’re self-employed or employed by someone else, the do-list is where the drudgery begins. Making a game out of it completely changes the process – it’s light, it’s fun, and you get more done!

If you were a business owner with a bunch of employees, you might want to set up games like this – games for everyone. Would you create the scorecard, or leave that to your employees? (Things to be said for both sides of this practice.) What kind of a scorecard would you set for yourself? Could you set a monthly prize for top score? Could you keep it light and fun?

Imagine how transformational this might be – you and your co-workers or employees competing to get the most done!

Imagine working in a place where everyone is trying to get the most work done they possibly can! And having fun doing it! And acknowledging themselves for being winners!

Should you take this on? Well, the price is right! And the flavor seems really positive. If you do, I’d love to hear the outcome.

I’ll report back to you – in a month or two – whether we can create a new class of player – the corporate athlete. (There’s an article in the Harvard Review by Jim Loehr which pursues this idea.) The corporate athlete leaps tall do-lists in a single bound! Wins a lot, smiles a lot, doesn’t complain about stress or lack of fulfillment. Work is good. Life is good.

Here’s my request of you. If you try this, will you let me know the results you get? Will you tell me how you changed the game to suit your own purposes? If you decide not to continue doing it, will you drop me a note or give me a call, and tell me about that? And, if it gives you a new freedom, and a new way to motivate that marvelous machine called you, I’d really like to hear from you.

Call Craig Jennings, at 516 944-6454 or email to craig@craigjennings.com.













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