You are a busy person. There’s so much to manage and get done in any given day, and it’s easy to start feeling really overwhelmed. The tasks just seem to pile up until you’re not sure how you’re ever going to get it all done. Here’s a five step process to stop that feeling and start getting things under control.
1. First, stop what you’re doing. You need to calm down because it’s close to impossible to get anything done when you’re obsessing over how much you’re not getting done. Re-frame your thinking. Look at what you have accomplished today or this week. Then tell yourself you’re going to get some more accomplished. Stop that negative feeling cold in its tracks.
2. Next, take out a piece of paper. You can also take out a stack of papers. Write down everything that you need to get done. Search your brain for every little thing you can think of that needs to get done.
If they’re things you should get done today, put them on one sheet of paper. If other things are coming up, such as “organize the hall closet” put one task per sheet of paper. These sheets of paper are going to go in your inbox. When you go through your inbox daily or weekly you’ll get to these tasks and be able to put them on your schedule. In the meantime, they’re off your mind.
3. Take your list of things that you need to get done today and look over it again. Are these things that you absolutely must get done today are can some of them wait until later? Would you be able to do them better if you did some of them tomorrow or next week? Put those down in your calendar then, or if you really don’t need to get them done by a deadline put them on your master to-do list.
4. Now, go back to your list of what you need to get done today and prioritize those tasks. Which task is most important? Are there any that need to wait for a specific time or for something else to happen first? Put them in the correct order.
Make sure you’ve written down an actual action step on your to-do list. Don’t write down “work on the project.” Write down the actual next step for the project, such as “sort and analyze spreadsheet data.” Don’t write down “get groceries” unless you’re totally ready to do that. Write down “plan meals” or “make grocery list” first.
5. OK, you now have a prioritized list of actionable tasks. You know exactly what you need to do and in what order to do it. Take a deep breath, grab a glass of water, and get started. You need to work on the first task on your list. Keep at it until it’s done. That’s right. Don’t stop until you can cross it off your list. If you find it needs more work or another step, add that step to your list. Then move on down your list.
You’ll need to occasionally do some rearranging of your schedule but these steps will help you stop that suffocating feeling over being overwhelmed. You’ll turn paralysis into effectiveness. A final tip to remember is to remove distraction and more incoming stress. Turn the phone ringer off and shut down the web browsers and chat windows while you’re getting things back under control. It’s OK to take a few minutes for yourself.
By Kristen Burgess
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristen_Burgess
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