As mentioned last post, a big problem is nothing but a bunch of pesky little tasks that join forces to clutter your
calendar and your mind that can throw you off course. This can cause a lot of problems, but like I mentioned, the solution is simple. If you have daunting tasks staring you in the face, you are letting a bunch of to-dos team up and it is slowing you down. When I start to get overwhelmed, I get a pen and notepad out and start to list off all of the tasks that need to be completed. Many people won’t do this, because it takes time and planning. This slowing down makes them feel like if the quit hurrying then they really won’t get crap done. If you are in this rut, AND you want to get out, get out a notepad and start writing down all of the stuff that you need to complete.
Now most people fail when they get a significant amount of stuff on the list, they get further overwhelmed and start doing things. This poor execution is what gets you there in the first place. Roll with me here…
Write down everything that needs to be done. Everything. Think of it as purging your brain from all the clutter-crap that has accumulated. Don’t stop until your mind quits racing. Then relax for a while and do it again. Now when you are fully convinced that your list is complete, read over it and make a mental note of what sticks out that is pressing. Now here is the critical part. Before you start doing any of it, make success your #1 goal. Set yourself up to succeed, not fail.
If you have 150 things that need to be done, this is going to take a few days. Give yourself some latitude. Do not try to plan out your entire week. Pick about 8-12 that you will do without fail. Then number them in the order that you will attack them. Do not pay too much attention to priority. If it has been on the list for this long, waiting a few more hours is not going to kill anything. Once you have 8-12 things listed, do them. Do them in order.
Do not list 30-40 things. You won’t finish them all. You need to set yourself up for success and not failure. Having 150 items on your list is not failing. Committing to do 30 of them and only doing 26 is! Once you have completed the 8-12 items. Prioritize another 8-12 and get started on that. But remember before you start the next list that you need to acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishment. It’s a big freaking deal. You are well on your way to killing procrastination and ineffectiveness. This should feel pretty good.
Next on our Jump Afraid journey, we are going to address the items on your list that don’t seem to get your attention. We will start by figuring out how to find them.