In the fall of 2022, Harvard Business Review published the results of a case study done with the task-management company Asana. The goal: to reduce the amount of time spent in meetings. The method: clear the calendar. The participants started small by removing standing meetings with less than five participants for 48 hours and then methodically removed additional meetings using differing criteria. The results were fewer meetings with clearer purpose and impact.

This study got me thinking about all the areas of our work that could use a healthy reset. Much like the meetings that tend to live on indefinitely on our calendars, there are tasks, projects, and even processes we follow that could benefit from a second look or even starting over.

I ran my own experiment of resetting my work in three areas: my task list, calendar, and workflows. My goal was to simplify the way I work. After a few days of evaluating and purging, my stress levels were lower, my processes were streamlined, and I had more space for deep thought. And the process was much less daunting and intense than I initially expected.

If you’re ready to hit reset on your work systems, start with these three areas.

Empty the Task List

I started with my task list because it was the most intimidating part of my process. The list had bloated to the point that I no longer enjoyed going into my day because I never felt like I was making progress. 
The first step was to evaluate the tasks that only involved me. Tasks that were no longer relevant or needed were easy to eliminate – delete! Then there were the tasks that were truly ideas (not to-dos) and needed additional consideration. Those were moved to a parking lot/brainstorming document to be thought through more thoroughly later. Finally, there were lingering tasks that needed to be evaluated on the grounds of purpose and value. Are these truthfully ever going to get done?

Once I tackled my personal task list, I turned my efforts to tasks delegated to me by others with the same process. Working with my colleagues and clients, we asked:

• Is this task still relevant or needed?
• Is this an idea, or is it actionable?
• Is this task a priority? Is this still in alignment with what we want to accomplish?

The eye-opening result of this process was how many tasks get flat-out deleted. Too often, tasks and projects get put on the back burner and linger without reevaluation. With that in mind, once the task list is tidied up, create a reminder to audit task and project lists every quarter.

Clear the Calendar

As I approached cleaning up my calendar, I divided the contents into two categories: within my control and outside of my control. For those outside my control, I let them rest as-is. Instead, I turned my attention and energy to those I could impact immediately.

The calendar contents within my control fell into two buckets: meetings and recurring holds. My holds included reminders like lunch, picking up my boys from school, and other reminders. My meetings were usually standing meetings, either weekly or bimonthly. 

To evaluate my meetings, I had a candid conversation with the attendees to discuss whether the standing meetings were necessary and if there were alternative options. A few options we discussed were reducing the frequency, moving “status update” meetings to email updates, and eliminating certain meetings altogether because we had a tool that kept communication and productivity flowing (such as ClickUp.) As a result, I reduced the number of these meetings on my calendar by half; they haven’t been missed, and we’re getting much more work done. 

Next up came the reminders and holds on my calendar. Many of these reminders do exactly what they were intended to do – ensuring I had time set aside for my recurring activities. It’s been a wonderful time and task management tool. Unfortunately, they worked so well that I started micromanaging myself. Thus, when evaluating, I asked myself two questions:

• Do I honor this reminder? Or skip over it? If I skip it, it’s just a guilt notification reminding me of what I’m not doing – delete!
• What reminders are redundant (due to being tied to other tasks) or simply unnecessary (I’m looking at you, reminder to make dinner every night)? These should be deleted without a second thought.

Redesign Processes from the Ground Up

Reevaluating workflows takes a little more time and thought, but the payoff is huge. Looking at how I actually get the work done, I asked myself:

• Given everything I’ve learned, if I were to start over, what would it look like?

And I do just that – I start over and redesign my workflow. The first couple of times I revamped processes, I had resistance around the amount of time and energy I had put into my current state and things being “good enough.” It felt like I was throwing away past effort. I learned to reframe this as dismantling and rebuilding with better tools. 

To start redesigning processes, begin with work that has persistent friction or that you haven’t looked at in a long time. And don’t forget to update your documentation!

Process redesign can be tricky, and an outside perspective will often get you over mental or systems hurdles. I have advisory sessions designed specifically to help with this. Learn more here.

Next Steps

Resetting your work systems can have a significant impact on how you get the work done and your stress levels. To make the most of it, set aside time to be thoughtful and intentional with your reset efforts. Block off time on your calendar and reduce distractions so you can focus and make the best decisions. Finally, set a reminder to check in on your systems and clean up every quarter or six months.

Need more help with your systems? Check out the shop for resources to get you streamlined, optimized, and operating at your best.