I’ve been known to sit and procrastinate for days. Then I realise that the reason for my doing so is simply overwhelm. So many things to do & worry about, So many rules to follow. There just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to do everything. But then I realise my overwhelm is keeping me stuck. I hardly get anything done and I definitely don’t get it done well when I’m worrying about all the other stuff. So I set out to create this system to overcome overwhelm. Now next time that I feel overwhelm creeping in I can get on top of it quickly. I hope it helps you too.
Take a Time Out
I can gain alot of clarity just by doing a quick mindfulness excercise or taking a short walk. I highly recommend taking that little time to reset and refocus before getting back to work.
List your to do's
Sit down with a cup of relaxing cammomile tea. Grab your bullet journal or whatever it is that you like to take notes on/in. Now it’s time to take stock of everything you need to do. You will start to feel so free. It’s like discharging all the energy that they take up in your head onto the paper. Totally liberating.
Decide what's really important
It’s time to identify and cross off the time thieves. I can guarantee you can cut your list right down if you think about what really needs to be done. Don’t even get me started on other peoples priorities that like to sneak their way over onto your list. Cross them off!! Once you get the important things done you’ll have more resources to focus the less important stuff.
Learn the art of Delegation
This is just a fancy way of saying ‘ask for help’ I know this can sometimes seem hard. There are people around us who are willing and able to help. We just have to learn to ask. They won’t always offer but they’re there. Some of them are twiddling their thumbs and wondering what they should do today. What are the things that can be better done by somebody else? What do you really hate doing but you know someone else would love? Or how about some swaps and collaborations? Time to get creative, make a few phonecalls and see if you can discharge a few more tasks.
Identify your single most important task
There’s bound to be something that’s going to be detrimental to your health, finances, relationships, career or lifestyle if it’s not done ASAP. Give yourself permission to go do that now not only because it will be a weight off your mind but because it will feel so good to cross that first task off your list.
schedule the other important tasks
Schedule out the other important tasks into the gaps in your diary then you can work on each without worrying about the others because they’re safely scheduled so you know you’ll get them done in good time.
Break it down
Break your biggest tasks down into bitesized and manageable pieces and schedule them into your diary too. Then start working on the first chunk with a nice clear head knowing that everything else is sitting nicely organised and waiting patiently for you to get to them.
eliminate distractions
Close down the computer, find a tidy space, do whatever it takes to create the optimal conditions to get on with your most important task.
PROCRASTINATION ALERT: This doesn’t mean launching into full scale declutter mode unless it’s your most important task. But it can mean getting up an hour earlier when the space is tidy and quiet.
Time yourself
Sometimes it can seem more fun or challenging to give yourself a time slot to focus on your task then take a break. Check out The pomodoro technique for an easy to install time management technique.
Celebrate
Always remember to celebrate your wins no matter how small. Whether it’s a nice bubble bath, a quick dance or a trip to the shops for a sweet treat. Do whatever it is that takes your fancy, as long as it brings you joy.
rinse and repeat.
Once you’ve done this a few times you’ll get into the habit of screening and scheduling your work. Perhaps in time you’ll find it will become second nature.
Gayathri Lakshminarayanan
19 May 2019I totally believe in dumping everything in to a to do list and then number the priorities. That usually calms me down and then I eliminate or postpone whatever is not a priority at the moment. Great post.