Pass the cake test

Pass the cake test

The cake test is a quick and easy way to save time and energy and stop procrastination, when you do your weekly planning.

I love writing todo-lists in order to prepare for the coming week. Getting my list ready on Sunday evening gives me a good feeling that I will be able to face the week from a strong starting point. I won’t get “swept away”, and will keep my focus, no matter what kind of “surprises” land on my desk on Monday.

However, in the past, even todo-lists didn’t help very much with stopping procrastination and time saving. To begin with, I couldn’t figure out, what it was. Something was wrong with the way I listed all the tasks: My list wasn’t helpful at all. Instead it acted as a motivation killer and often led to excessive procrastination.

Then, studying several lists from the past, I discovered the reason:

I had mixed up projects and actions

Why is this a problem?

A “project” is always a series of actions, for example if you want to hire a VA: “Hiring a VA” is the overall project and you can split this into several actions, e.g. making a list of all the tasks your future VA should take over, writing a job description, inviting applicants for interviews etc.

…and this is, where the cake comes in. Just imagine:

a project is like a whole cake,
and actions are like single slices of a cake.

Even if you like cake very much, you wouldn’t eat the whole cake in one go, would you? It’s the same with your todo-lists:

If you have a lot of projects on your list, like “hiring a VA”, or “changing gas and electricity supplier” or even just a name, like “Richard!” – for calling your web-developer, discussing a list of 20 problems regarding your website, etc. – you don’t even want to get started. They are all far too “big” and impossible to digest in one go. They are like whole cakes, you get an upset “stomach” if you attempt to “eat” them in one go. So better avoid them and procrastinate over them… 🙂

The advantages of single actions / slices of cake

1. If you split all the projects into actions, each action is like a single piece of cake. Most likely you will enjoy eating it, and after the first one perhaps even find room for a second and third. There is less time and “need” for procrastination, because the process is more rewarding and less draining in itself, than trying to get your mouth round a whole project at once.
2. You can’t cross out a whole project so easily. Some seem to be “sitting” on your list forever. crossing out actions on your list gives you far more satisfaction.
3. You can manage just a certain number of slices per day, as can each member of your team. It’s easier to estimate the time you need for one single action than for a whole project. More accurate timing makes your planning more realistic. – and you don’t need to feel guilty. After all, it’s just not sensible to eat too much cake.
4. Sometimes, we don’t like the cake put in front of us – we always have big chunks of tasks or projects we are not so keen on. For me, it’s cheese cake. However, it is not so hard to eat just one little slice every day. – Or why not give the whole cake or at least some slices to somebody else who really likes it? A member of your team? A contractor or freelancer?
5. If you are able to set up your own projects and decide their volume, why not set up more smaller projects and not one big project. – “Bake” smaller cakes!

Take the cake test

Check your todo-lists for whole cakes (projects) and slices of cake (actions):

1. Try to cut the cakes into slices.
2. Estimate the time needed to finish off one slice.
3. How many slices can you finish off in one day? Is your todo-list realistic?
4. How could you involve your team? What about their todo-lists?
5. Could you pass on at least some slices of cake to somebody else who would be more than happy to polish them off?

Any more ideas how to use this metaphor to increase your fun and stop procrastination?

Please share them here and leave a comment – on your marks, get set – BAKE!!! 🙂

Image credits:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/564287028290209760/ (unitedstatessun.com, Hawaiian carrot cake with coconut icing)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/564287028290209836/ (crazyforcrust.com Lemon Meringue Pie Fudge)

© Lead & Connect, Jutta Nedden 11/2015