Wright Words: Could the WITMIT experiment work for you?

Perhaps you need a moment to decompress after a stressful meeting by visiting Facebook and scrolling through your newsfeed. Did you survive a trip to Costco with a mini-van full of kids? You might deserve more than a moment online, your WITMIT might be to hug the DVR and catch up on “Downton Abbey.”

Has it been too long since you’ve taken your spouse to lunch or volunteered at your child’s school? If so, you may find either of those activities should become your WITMIT for the afternoon.

Imagine how productive we’d all feel every day if by lunchtime we’d knocked out those items that kept us awake the night before. Was it that letter to the IRS? What about that awkward discussion with your boss? Could it be an apology? If so, especially to a spouse or child, it should always be your WITMIT.

Sometimes our projects are multi-step hikes through an organizational jungle that will take days, weeks or even longer. Still, we should ask ourselves: What are the most important steps I can take on that trail today that lead me to a successful end?

My objective with my own WITMIT experiment is to accomplish more of the important things earlier in the day so that by quitting time, my WITMIT will always lead me home.

You may have a time-management system and tools for personal productivity that work for you. If so, keep it up! You’re ahead of the game. But if you’ve struggled to find consistency, give WITMIT a try by identifying the single most important task at any given moment.

So, what’s the most important thing I should be doing right now? I can send this column to my editor and call home to check on a child who’s been ill this week.

What comes after that?

What's the next WITMIT?

Is that a penny?

Jason F. Wright is a New York Times best-selling author of 10 books, including "Christmas Jars," "The Wednesday Letters," and "The 96th Annual Apple Valley Barn Dance." He can be reached at jwright@deseretnews.com or jasonfwright.com.