So Much to Do, So Little Time

It's amazing that we get anywhere these days with so many different things competing for our time and energy. When you talk about it the thing you always get is 'time management'. How can you manage your time better? Well guess what? You aren't stressed and overwhelmed because you aren't managing your time....you are stressed and overwhelmed because the expectations that you have for yourself (and that society perpetuates) are too high. Nobody could do all those things in one day and the people that look like they do...they have help!

So, now that we have established that it's our learned thought process that's the problem and not our actual ability to function, let's look at how we can actually make things a little more bearable. I'm not going to promise that you still won't have too much to do, especially if you don't have a lot of supports at home, but hopefully these tips will make things a little bit better.

Let's talk priorities. We know what priority means...something that's important and must get done. A lot of times I also hear 'everything is a priority'. No. It's not. If it was then that means nothing is really a priority because everything is the same. So how do we figure out what actually does come first? I like to think about priorities as food categories, if it's going to feed my face, feed my mind or feed my soul then it's a priority. Try to ask yourself if it fits into one of those categories as you complete the 3-steps to prioritize as we work though them.

Step 1: Write

Make a list of all the things that need to get done, your whole to-do list. Anything that you can think of or have been thinking about, things that you need to do. Get them on a piece of paper. (This can also be called a brain dump).

Step 2: Sort

Now that you have all of your to-do's out on paper sort through them and put them into three categories: Project/Event, Weekly/Regular tasks, Daily tasks.

Projects or events are things that happen once every 3 months or less. They usually require special planning or time to complete.

Weekly or Regular tasks are things that you have on repeat, bills to pay, menu planning, cleaning tasks...whatever takes up regular space in your brain remembering to do it.

Daily tasks are just that, things that you have to do every day like make dinner, walk the dog etc.

Step 3: Label

Give each of the tasks in these three categories a label: 'Do', 'Delegate', or 'Delete'.

Do - this is for tasks that only you have the required skill set to complete (it will likely be a lot less than you think!).

Delegate - These are tasks that other people could do. If you decide to delegate something then let them take the reins and be responsible for the task even if it doesn't get done the way that you normally would do it.

And I saved the best for last,

Delete - These are the things that you are going to take off your list. If you actively decide that they are not important (or not important right now) this will help to free up some brain space so you can think more clearly and have more time in your day for the priority items.

This process can feel daunting at first but trust me, getting this stuff organized and out of your mind will help with feelings of overwhelm and anxiety. It gives you control and help (even if you have to pay for some of it). If you are used to doing everything yourself then delegating can be hard. Giving up control of certain tasks might be a challenge but if you can truly let go then it will free up so much mental space for you.

So, what are you waiting for?