As I take on more and more responsibility in my role, I find that I begin letting my calendar and email dictate my day.  After letting email control me for a few weeks and I start forgetting what I should focus on.  One thing that I’ve recognized is a pattern to my week and month.  Recently I put the ‘rocks’ (projects) on my white-board and noticed I spend a portion of my week (sometimes a portion of each day) on these projects.  Interestingly, as I look at each week or month, there’s a rhythm and pattern to the things I spend my time on that repeats consistently.  I began putting these projects on my calendar and intentionally allocating time to think, strategize and work on them.  Recognizing this pattern has allowed me to stay on top of the ‘rocks’ rather than feeling the weight of them.