Are you busy all day but making little progress?
If so you might be doing everything but what needs to be done!
Tell me if this sounds familiar, your alarm goes off and you start your day with a to-do list, something like this:
- go to work
- plan Halloween party
- follow up with health insurance
- write thank you notes
- pack up summer clothing
You’re busy all day, bouncing from task to task, then…at the end of the day you’re further behind than when you started!
Now your to-do list list might look like this:
- plan Halloween party
- follow up with health insurance
- write thank you notes
- pack up summer clothing
- call dentist
- clean office
- grocery shop
- order printer ink
So what exactly did you do all day?
When you recount how you spent your day you realize you did easy tasks, fun tasks, and sometimes meaningless tasks. Leaving the more challenging, less enjoyable tasks until “later.”
Those tasks stack up, you feel unsuccessful and important to-do’s get forgotten.
Here’s how you can solve being busy all day.
Solution #1 Do Icky Tasks First
If you tackle the least desirable task first then the rest of the tasks will be easier.
Solution #2 Challenge Yourself
Set a timer and challenge yourself to complete a specific portion of the task before the buzzer sounds.
Solution #3 Break Up Larger Tasks
Turn a large project into a bunch of smaller, more manageable tasks.
This week pay attention and catch yourself when you got into “busy mode.” Notice when you avoid doing what you know needs to be done by wasting time doing less meaningful tasks.
Reward Yourself
Hold off on the more enjoyable tasks until after you tackle something less fun. If you like researching Halloween ideas but aren’t looking forward to calling the insurance company then call the company first leaving the research as a reward for doing the icky task.
Most of all just start. Getting started can be intimidating. Remember, you don’t have to complete the whole task at once, but at least take the first bite-size step.
