Getting the Important Stuff Done
Do you agree that our thoughts create our feelings? Have you ever noticed that if you start thinking that there’s too much to do and not enough time to do it in, you begin to feel hurried and stressed? The stress you experience actually comes from the inside, not the outside. It’s how we think about our endless ‘to-do list’ that creates feelings of overwhelm. Worry escalates to unproductive thinking: “I’ll never get everything done, I’m always rushing…”
If you can change your thoughts, it will immediately change how you feel. If you have planned out your day based on your priorities, you will accept that you have all the time you need to do what’s important to you, and your thoughts will shift. This will drastically affect how you feel. It will lower your stress and anxiety level. When you trust that you’ve set time aside for all your priorities, you will be able to relax and fully focus on the moment. As a result, you will become a more effective, happier and healthier person.
You are ultimately in charge of how you spend your time, once you choose to take control. Don’t just say yes to whatever screams the loudest. Choose consciously how you will spend your time. It’s easy to be busy but not productive. What’s the difference? Being busy just keeps you running around in circles but ultimately getting nowhere. It’s like sharpening all your pencils instead of making that difficult call to arrange a job interview or make a sale. Being productive moves you closer to your personal goals. It’s choosing to work on the items that need your time and attention now in order to give you a feeling of being more in control of your life.
Get into the habit of planning your day every morning or the night before. Ask what absolutely has to be done today and what can wait. Unexpected tasks will come up but you don’t have to be in instant-response mode all the time. If they can wait, make a note to handle them later.
It only takes fifteen minutes or less to plan and prioritize, but the payoff is huge in terms of personal effectiveness and wellness. Have you tried planning your schedule in advance? What results did you get? What got in the way?
Fabulous words Hellen! So true. Your mindset is the most important part of being organized and not feeling overwhelmed.
I do this now and it works! Always better to pre-plan as much of your day as possible so when the unexpected tasks show up, you’re ready!
At the end of each week, I plan my schedule for the following week. I used to get frustrated when I couldn’t get it all done, until I began to leave at least 25% of my workday open. Now when things take longer than expected, or something new pops up that needs to be dealt with, I can usually fit it in without having to scratch something else.
I absolutely cannot decide what is most important each day! Some stuff MUST be done, like delivering lunch to my daughter today. But other than that, I have a terrible time, so many things I would love to do, that would be “nice” to do (like taking a meal to my sick neighbour) seem just as important as doing laundry. Nobody appreciates what I do at home anyways!! At least I will feel appreciated for going the extra mile with friends.
Thank you so much for this awesome post. this was just what I needed today!!!