Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Here’s a failproof way to get stuff done!
We have about two weeks left in 2019. Take away weekends and a few holidays, and that’s about seven working days. Right about now many people are feeling:
- Overwhelmed
- Panicked
- Guilty
Are you one of them?
Are you feeling overwhelmed at the sheer volume of year-end goals still to be met, panicked when you realize how few days are left in the year, and guilty that you didn’t get it all done? You aren’t alone! But you don’t need to feel this way. Ever!
Instead of setting annual goals, I advise my clients to get clear on their top 3 priorities, block out time on their calendar to tackle their priorities, and get them done. You can do this any time of year. And as your top priorities are met, you can identify new ones. Once you get in the groove, you are always identifying AND accomplishing your top priorities!
Want to get started?
- Spend an hour identifying your top priorities. These could be personal (schedule all those doctor appointments you’ve been meaning to schedule), professional (decide if you want to convert your foundation to a donor-advised fund) or both. Last year one of mine was “Write and publish my second book.” What are the most important things you want to accomplish in the next month, quarter or year? Write them down and put them someplace you will see them regularly.
- Block out time in your calendar. I mean literally pull out or open up your calendar and block out time for each priority. Even if it’s just a few hours a week to start. You don’t yet need to know how you will spend this time, just schedule it.
- Do it. You can start by making a list of the top 3—10 things that need to happen next in order to accomplish your priority. This can be as simple as “Make a list of every doctor appointment to schedule” or “Google and read articles about the pros and cons of foundations vs donor-advised funds.”
If you stick with this strategy, I promise you will quickly make progress! If you need help, you can always call or email me at +1-800-598-2102 x1 or kris@putnam-consulting.com
And if you are looking for more ways to stop feeling overwhelmed, get time back in your day, and increase your speed to philanthropic impact, be sure to read my forthcoming book, Delusional Altruism: Why Philanthropists Fail to Achieve Change and What They Can Do to Transform Giving! It publishes on March 23rd and I’m so excited to share it with you! You can pre-order it now!
In the meantime, please enjoy a wonderful and stress-free holiday and new year!
About Kris Putnam-Walkerly
I’m a global philanthropy expert, advisor and award-winning author. I help ultra-high net worth donors, celebrities, foundations and Fortune 500 companies dramatically increase the clarity, speed, impact and joy of their giving. I’m the author of Confident Giving: Sage Advice for Funders, was named one of “America’s Top 25 Philanthropy Speakers”(along with U2’s Bono!), I write about philanthropy for Forbes.com, Alliance Magazine, De Dikke Blauwe and am frequently quoted in leading publications such as Bloomberg, NPRand WSJ.
Whether you are just getting started in philanthropy, want to refresh your giving strategy, or need to catapult yourself to your desired future, I can help. Let’s talk! Call me at +1-800-598-2102 x1, email me at kris@putnam-consulting.com or schedule a call.
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“As a CEO it is tremendously helpful to have someone with Kris’s expertise to be able to call any time and discuss any issue, big or small. Her insights validated my thinking, gave me new perspective, and streamlined our strategy. One of her suggestions alone saved me countless hours and helped me make a critical hiring decision. I would definitely work with her again.”
Janet Spears, CEO, Metta Fund
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Want to learn more? Visit my website to learn how I help funders, access free resources, and read client testimonials.
About Kris Putnam-Walkerly
Kris Putnam-Walkerly, MSW is a global philanthropy advisor and president of Putnam Consulting Group, Inc. For more than 20 years, top global philanthropies have requested Kris Putnam-Walkerly's help to transform their giving and catapult their impact. Widely considered to be one of the most sought-after philanthropic advisors, Kris has helped over 80 foundations and philanthropists strategically allocate and assess over half a billion dollars in grants and gifts.
As a philanthropy expert, advisor and award-winning author, Kris's clients include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, J.M. Smucker Company, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Heising Simons-Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, Walton Family Foundations, Avery Dennison, and Fujitsu, among dozens of others.
A thought leader in transformational giving, Kris was named one of America's Top 25 Philanthropy Speakers for two years in a row. She is the author of the award-winning book Confident Giving: Sage Advice for Funders and the forthcoming book Delusional Altruism (Wiley; February 2020); a regular Forbes.com contributor on philanthropy; a global content partner to Alliance Magazine; and authored a chapter on "Transformational Giving: Philanthropy as an Investment in Change" in a new book on impact investing, The ImpactAssets Handbook for Investors. Kris is also a frequent contributor in the publications of leading philanthropy organizations, including the National Center on Family Philanthropy, Exponent Philanthropy, Southeastern Council on Foundations, Foundation Center, PEAK Grantmaking, and Giving Northern Ireland. Kris also provides expert commentary about philanthropy in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Washington Post, Entepreneur.com, and other media. Most recently, she was featured on NPR's Marketplace Morning Report and in Bloomberg Markets magazine. She co-edited The Foundation Review's themed journal on philanthropy consulting. In 2017 Kris was inducted into the Million Dollar Consulting® Hall of Fame, one of only 75 consultants chosen world-wide.
Prior to forming Putnam Consulting Group, she was a grantmaker at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and an evaluator at the highly esteemed Stanford University School of Medicine.