Today's TQ

Daily Lessons in Intentional Excellence
Sunday, December 21, 2025

Take Notes!

Always write down your thoughts and observations after your meetings and telephone calls. Record the dates of your key conversations, as well as the times you failed to reach somebody.

Make it your routine to write them down as they come up.

Today's TQ Challenge: Create Efficient Routines -- Stick To Them.

Choose to be SYSTEMATIC! Have you ever had a good brainstorm evaporate?
Choose to be ORDERLY! Would memos taken throughout your day help when you make tomorrow's list?
Choose to be PROCEDURAL! What became of all the ideas you heard today? Jotted them down?

A routine is a series of actions that are performed the same way every time -- usually at the same time. Routines ensure that every important action or step in a process will always be completed without fail. Make it a habit to do the right thing the right way -- every time, and you'll become vastly more productive.

"The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is what a man or woman is able to do that counts." ~ Booker T. Washington

Think about it. How well and how often do you actually DO Organize Factor 8D?

"I use efficient routines to complete recurrent tasks as quickly as possible."

A high commitment (8D rated 8 or better) suggests you habitually repeat the right actions at the right times. Every morning after your walk, your coffee perks while you shower. You then sit down for ten minutes of planning time. Far from being a slave to your routines, you create enjoyable and productive habits to guarantee the automatic completion of important tasks. By sticking to a routine, critical tasks are never put off or forgotten. Your routines reduce mistakes, stress and the time required to complete any task correctly.

On the other hand...

A lack of commitment suggests you are someone who can be inconsistent in completing recurrent tasks, responsibilities and duties. Because you fail to follow carefully prepared routines that define the right way to achieve the desired result, you waste time compensating for neglected, forgotten, overlooked or ignored elements of those activities. As a result, urgencies are created that often demand your immediate attention -- urgencies that pull you away from higher payoff activities.

What happens when you CHOOSE to do Factor 8D a bit more frequently?

Your efficient routines guarantee positive results. You accumulate performance positives like "Procedural, Systematic and Consistent" -- immediately moving you towards the results you expect.

What happens when you FAIL to consistently do Factor 8D?

Your actions can be random, impulsive and unpredictable. Negatives like "Capricious, Inconsistent and Sporadic" start to take their toll on your performance -- quickly moving you away from the success you want.

Now Ask Yourself This...
Is Factor 8D Causing You Problems?

If you believe this factor is a key performance obstacle -- and that it's preventing you from realizing your personal dreams and goals -- then you need to improve it.

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