by Elizabeth S.. Craig, @elizabethscraig
If you’re like me, sometimes you have so much going on that it’s hard to know where to start. Your to-do lists look like bucket lists. And you work all day long and don’t feel you’ve really gotten anything accomplished.
When this happens to me, I radically change what my to-do lists look like. The most important thing is to triage the most important tasks. Plus, feel as if I’m making some progress.
There’s a free app called 135 List, which I’ve found helpful before when life gets challenging. With the app, you’re forced to prioritize what’s on your list. So one big thing that you need to get accomplished (and this can be part of a big project…it’s easier to break it into manageable bits), three things of medium importance to complete, and then five smaller items. I always made the smaller items things that I could do without a whole lot of energy or thinking: scheduling a dentist appointment, wiping down the nose prints my dog left on the glass door, etc.
Sometimes, though, even that is daunting. Sometimes everything seems like an emergency.
When that happens, I pick one thing that will make me feel as if I’ve really accomplished something that day. It might be something that I’ve procrastinated for a while that really needs to be knocked out. It might even just be starting on something that seems large and unmanageable. The ‘one thing’ could even be making a braindump on an empty document so that I can accurately assess all the things that I need to take care of instead of getting that awful feeling in the middle of the night that there’s something about to fall through the cracks.
Whatever that one thing is, when I mark it as done I feel like I have more energy and confidence to attack the rest of the tasks, or at least put them prioritized on lists for the rest of the week.
Otherwise, I spin my wheels doing things that don’t really help me feel less-stressed. Author assistant Mel Jolly puts it this way (emphasis hers): “…we get overwhelmed and waste all our time doing low-impact things (like answering emails) that don’t make much of a difference in our big picture.”
Another note: I do try to make my to-do list for the following day so that I’m not trying to both figure out priority tasks and knock them out on the same day.
And…if something comes up in the middle of my day (and it frequently does, usually via email), I add that to my list for the next day to keep from losing focus.
Maybe this is a side note that would be better unpacked in a later blog post, but it also really helps to know your own ‘magic hours’–the time of day when you’re most efficient and have the most energy. (More about magic hours in this Time Magazine article).
How do you push through when life is overwhelming? Any tips?
To-Do Lists for the Overwhelmed Writer: Click To TweetPhoto on Visualhunt
That’s a really good idea, Elizabeth, to have a way to do triage on your to-do list. Even on days when you’re not so overwhelmed, you make better use of your time that way, I think. And it’s nice to have a little handy dandy tool to help keep the focus.
So true about having these tools to help us stay focused! They really can be useful. :)
When I have multiple upcoming releases or events, I start to feel that way. Some things I’ll just schedule for the next day or day after that to keep from dumping too many things on the page. And some days I manage to finish AND knock out something on the list for the next day. That’s a warm fuzzy feeling.
I like to do that, too…schedule things for another day of the week. It makes me feel as if I’m still in control of my list, but keeps me from feeling panicky. It’s a great feeling to knock things off the list early!! No hope of doing that today (today is one of those putting out fires days), but fingers crossed I can catch up soon!
In fact, this was the perfect post for this moment, this day. Funny — when someone else (you) organizes common sense how doable it becomes. Thanks.
So glad the post was helpful! And you’re right about it being easier when someone else spells it out…I feel that way often, too.
I’m a lister. I like Google Keep I use it on my cell and in my Gmail where it is docked on the sidebar addon. Its pretty simple to use. I will have to check out that app.
I love that app! I use Google Keep every day. I like the reminder function that it has, too.
I keep a Running ToDo list in Word, marking the day’s priorities in bold red, secondary priorities in non-bold red. When things move from non-bold black all the way to bold red, I know I’ve procrastinated way too long on that task.
Even so, unexpected events, visitors, or even weather can throw the list into chaos. That’s when I take a lawn chair outside and sit in the shade (or sun on a cool day) and admire my flowers and tomato plants, watch butterflies and birds, and breathe. Even thirty minutes will allow me to get back to work and focus.
That sounds like a really helpful method, Pat! And I like the way it has a built-in procrastination blocker, ha.
I also like your way of hitting reset on a rough day. If it weren’t 100 degrees here today (I’m having, ironically considering the topic of the post, a crazy day today) I’d do the same thing. Maybe I can at least go outside for 5 to 10 minutes and see if I can restart everything and have a better afternoon.
My daughter just told me about this app last week! She uses it all the time – I’ll have to try it!
Oh good! Yes, it really can force you to triage tasks, which makes so much sense.
This is a great app. I have To Do lists and Trello boards but find them overwhelming. I seem to have way too much to do! This forces me to simplify and prioritise
Simple is better sometimes! Good luck. :)
The prioritizing makes all the difference, I think! Hope you find that it helps. :)
I have read and reread David Allen’s Getting Things Done series and use many of his techniques. For instance, I have a someday/maybe list, an annual to-do list, a monthly list, and then at the beginning of each week, I set tasks for that period. Without going into too much detail, I create lists on my yellow legal pads…for instance, I have one for each month so I can set up things I know I need to get done in preparation for other things to happen…important to have a tickler file. I believe that the most important part of any organization system (and we are inundated with apps, ideas, books for getting organized) is consistency. Take annual review time, note monthly to-do things, take ten minutes to look at the week ahead …think about the small things that need doing for bigger things to happen in the future. Each morning take five minutes to look at your weekly list, scanning for this day’s tasks, note changes, etc. Set aside this thought time and be sure to DO IT! It really clears my head to know I have it down and know I will be reviewing my lists at the right time. Of course, you must adapt …for instance I’ve happily moved my to-do things into the future in order to help my daughter with her new baby. Had to chuckle when I finally got to this post…right now, for my daughter and son-in-law,, both busy professionals, I think the tippy top of their immediate to-do lists is GET MORE SLEEP?
Braindumps really do help with clearing your mind…good point! And you’ve brought up such an important part of *any* system we adopt–*reviewing* the lists/calendar. It does absolutely no good if we don’t take a look to see what’s coming up.
You are great to help your daughter (and congratulations on being a grandmother)! I have a feeling that their Get More Sleep priority has a chance with you around. :)