Tech

Feeling overwhelmed? Start a List Someday-Maybe-Later


There are times When you’re so busy, all you want to do is hide from that never-ending to-do list. You are exhausted from playing the game of fishing, rushing to defeat a series of requests continuously but never be sure that you are “crushing it”. You worry because you forgot something important and worry that you haven’t made progress on what really matters.

As a life coach, I’ve seen how helpful it can be to start a “maybe-later” list. Making conscious choices to shelve or delay a task helps remove some immediate stressors so you can focus. Plus, with a little structure, you can gradually turn it into a “master project list,” the kind of productivity tool experts recommend, to prevent future overwhelming.

Facing the reality of time

While time management experts recommend using different systems, the common advice is to grasp all requirements, duties, and obligations. Throughout his book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, David Allen emphasizes the importance of documenting “open loops” or unfinished work so that you can fully pay attention to the task. In the first line of the book, he promises, “It is possible for a person to have too much to do and still be productive with a clear head and a positive sense of control.”

More recently, Cal Newport, author of several books, including Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, also urges an annoyed listener about Deep question podcast to “face the productivity dragon. ” He notes that “ambiguous obligations… [have] It’s unfortunate that it’s become commonplace in our day to work that work is largely remote and frenetic incessantly. “

Like Allen, Newport suggests having a designated place to keep track of all obligations so you can remember where to find them. In an email conversation, he describes his system: “I have a separate place to keep track of the obligations (actually a task sheet) for each of my professional roles. Each place keeps a list of things to be clarified and elaborated on. That way, if something vague but important slips through my plate, I can catch it right away without having to do the hard work of figuring out exactly what this vague obligation means. what in reality. ”

While this requires more effort in capturing tasks as they arise, Newport points to a larger negative impact of the alternative: “If you don’t have a record of everything you need to do, , then you will forget or be late for many, Many items.”

Time management expert Laura Vanderkam also recommends taking a complete and thorough look. But instead of keeping track of future obligations, the author of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think Suggest recording everything you do every half hour of the week. In a phone conversation, she explained, “If you don’t know where your time is going now, you won’t have the data to know what you’re working on to improve in the future.” future.”

When I mentioned that some people might find this exercise difficult, she said, “It’s not about playing ‘Gotcha! You’ve been spending too much time on Netflix or Instagram. ‘ It’s an approach to life with a spirit of curiosity. Once you track your time, you start thinking about how you want to fill your time and find out what you can do that you mistakenly thought you couldn’t. “

Find an easier way to get started

If you are thinking, “easier said than done”, you are not alone. No wonder my coaching clients don’t like the new and comprehensive systems when they have trouble finding time to eat lunch or use the bathroom.

What’s useful instead is a list that’s more manageable someday-maybe-later: a simple landing, not just for things you might want to do, as Allen suggests. , but also for delayed projects or anything that seems “shabby” or ailing -definition. With a clear framework, the act of typing out or writing down tasks to set aside gives you a sense of control and makes you feel more powerful. It empowers you to prioritize, say no, delegate, and procrastinate.

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