If you’re anything like me you are probably juggling what seems like 100 different thing at all times and you have a massive “To-Do” list that seems to be never ending.
I would get so disappointed in myself that I didn’t get everything accomplished on my almost frightening mountain of tasks to do. It had been like that for years. My lists have lists. I had lists on post-its, on notebooks, on the fridge, on the dry erase board, on an app on my phone… the list goes on and on..
Talk about over-f’ing-whelming!
I felt like I was sinking in this hole with all of the pending tasks falling in around me, when in all reality I was being productive with my time but just not in an organized fashion. Therefore I did not feel productive at all.
I decided I needed to make a conscious effort to make a change and start getting EVERYTHING on my list done (crazy thought, right?)
Here are some tips that I have adopted that really help me!
- Jot Everything Down Randomly.
Yes, I mean aimlessly write down the things that are popping into your head that you need to get done. Do this over an hour or so time span. That way all of those things that pop into your head when you’re doing the dishes, or in the shower have the time to surface in your mind and you can write them down.
I have found that this works best to do when I’m cleaning the house. I put the list on the coffee table in my living room and go back to it 30 times and write things down that pop into my head. Its proven to be very effective - Prioritize Your Tasks
Some things have deadlines and some don’t. While all of the items are equally important to you, calling your landlord because your sink keeps backing up is probably more pressing than organizing your photos on drop-box.
So take a second to look at your list and be honest with yourself on whats more pressing than the next. Write down “due dates” next to those items. - Re-write Your List.
Write a new list with your tasks in order of what needs to be done first. I make my list on Sundays and use it for the week. Break down your items you wish to accomplish over the week using per-day lists.
This really helps keep you from feeling overwhelmed!
(But remember to be conscious of your schedule for the week when making the daily “to-do” lists. If you have work and 3 meetings on Wednesday, you might want to keep that days tasks a little light) - Give Each Task a Time Limit.
Go through your pretty new list and look at each item. Think about how much time that task should take you. OR how much time you want to dedicate to that task.
Example: I do a lot of field research for my business and as we all know, you can get lost in articles and blogs and Facebook pages, then the next thing you know its 3 hours later and you have 10 pages of notes but have not accomplished anything else that was on your list for the afternoon.
If you assign yourself 30 minutes to research a new workout routine, then stick to that 30 minute time limit, hold yourself accountable. Even set a timer if you need to. When that 30 minutes is up, move on to the next item on the list!
^^^^^This has helped me SO much!Its really just that simple my beautiful, multi-tasking friends. I hope that these tips help to make your time more productive for you and get you one step closer to taking over the world! ;)Until next time ladies. Love & Positivity© 2015 Jamie Thurber. @jmeirene. All Rights Reserved