Connecting Big Picture to the Details

[Sky]

Can anyone recommend quality books, websites, or articles that deal with connecting big picture thinking (goal setting, vision, purpose) with the details (next actions, to-do's)? I'm looking for something that's not gimmicky, presents a clear picture of WHY it's a good idea to view all levels of planning and HOW to do it effectively. I'm familiar with both Seven Habits and GTD.

[Jerry K]

I always liked Julie Morgenstern's book Time Management from the Inside Out, I think she does a good a job of drilling down from big goals to little action steps. Covey is great for the big picture stuff, GTD is great for the day to day. You can also check out Alan Lakein's seminal book on time management, he gets very into daily prioritizing but has some good info on connecting goals to actions. One point David Allen makes which I really like (and has taken me a year to really digest) is that keeping a project list of all your current committments is a great way of reminding yourself of bigger picture goals. In addition to that I also keep an even "higher level" Covey-style list of non-specific goals (be a better writer, be a loving son, etc) that derive from an even higher-level mission statement. Each day I review my project list and make sure I am taking at least 15 to 30 minutes on each of my goals (I make a little rough schedule each day), and the rest of the day seems to fill itself out.

Good luck and let me know if I can give you any more details. But I really suggest the Morgenstern book as your next source.

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my personal blog: Jerry Kolber’s Blog