How Am I EVER Going to Get All This Done??

Ever feel like a blanket of tasks and responsibilities has wrapped itself tight around you? That there’s just so much to do that you don’t know where to start so you just freeze?

Let me share some strategies and together we can get through this!

First, I do exactly that. Freeze. I stop and I take a deep breath. It may seem like there is no time for deep breaths, but trust me, getting into the right frame of mind from the start will make everything you do that follows easier!

Second, I create a list of everything that I must get done. Then I take another look at that list – do I really need to get to all of these things right now or can some easily be pushed down the line?

Next, I take a scan through everything that is left on this whittled down list and I prioritize. There’s many ways to prioritize. For example, does it make sense to get a bunch of the little tasks done first? Sometimes these quick wins can energize and push you forward! Or do I have a tight deadline on a big project that must be attended to first. Take some time at this stage so that you can accurately nail down the order of your priorities.

Then, I set some timelines for the items on my list. What is a reasonable amount of time to complete each task? This helps keep me focused and chugging away at my list. Without it, I can sometimes get sidelined by a fun interruption. Not to say that fun can’t be built into the list – it all depends on how tight of deadlines that you have. Sometimes stepping away from work for a bit can make you all the more efficient when you return.

Now it’s time to get to work! If I’ve decided to plug away at my small tasks first, great! Successes will come left and right as I plow through them. If I have a big (daunting!) task that is pressing, one so big that I really don’t even know where to start, I take on a divide and conquer strategy. I will take that large task and break it down into bite-size pieces that are much more manageable – and the successes from completing each piece tend to spur me on to do more!

Before you know it, your work is done and it’s time to relax!