The Kadenze production team has a lot to do: we film a new course every week, organize and make coursework with our instructors, and manage post-production tasks like editing and motion effects. And that’s by no means a complete list. Each day has a new challenge, and we have to stay on our toes.
With so much to do, how do we keep sane? The key to getting everything done without losing your mind is planning. Even on the most intense days (especially on the most intense days), I start out by making a to-do list. It keeps me on track, prioritized, and prepared for surprises. It’s always worth the time.
I spend 15 minutes making my list every day. That might seem like a lot, but you save way more time when your plan is solid. Here’s my process:
Spend the first 2 minutes centering yourself.
Do not write. Think about all of the projects you have going on right now, think about who can help you, and then think about the actual tasks to get it done.
Spend the next 3 minutes writing down each task.
Write them clearly, and break them down into chunks. Don’t say write an article about to-do lists. Where to start? Instead, say “outline article,” “write intro,” “write body,” “edit.” If you feel like something is going to take over an hour, make it smaller. Lists should be long and simple.
Spend 2 more minutes assigning priorities.
I have a three-tier system, but use whatever seems best:
- High – Anything preventing you or someone else from doing other tasks, and anything due today.
- Medium – Anything that is going to get in the way soon, or due within the next week.
- Low – Anything that isn’t going to get in the way, and isn’t due anytime soon.
A to-do list with priorities gets things done. A to-do list without just gets you stressed.
Take another 3 minutes to reorder by priority.
Don’t skip this step. If something is unimportant for the day, you don’t want to even look at it. Send it to the bottom.
Review your to-do list for 5 minutes.
If you feel like you need to prepare more, group (don’t join!) tasks by type: these are all cleaning, these are all emails, etc.
With a to-do list that’s clear and meaningful, your day will run itself. When someone asks you what you’re up to, you already know.
It’s just as important to reevaluate. After you’ve knocked out some of the critical tasks, look at your to-do list again: do all of these things have to be finished today? Did something come up that’s more imperative? Are there any tasks that would be better completed by a group/team member (who’s happy to help)? Feel free to make changes—it’s your list.
As your day goes on, physically cross out anything you’ve completed. I’m serious! It feels good, and you earned it. Plus, at the end of the day you’ll have evidence of all your hard work.
Amanda Eno is Senior Production Manager at Kadenze. She keeps the team on schedule from pre-production through launch, leads course design, and works with our instructors. She earned her MFA in Theater Management from California Institute of the Arts.
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