How to get things done without feeling overwhelmed?
If you’re the type of person who procrastinate a lot, if you want to do so many tasks during the day but you end up doing nothing, if you’ve already planned what you want to do for the next week but you lost your motivation because you’re feeling like you’re getting so overwhelmed, this post is for you. I totally get you and I also want to tell you that you are not alone. I’ve been struggling and going through the same thing for years, until I found out all the things I was doing wrong and how to fix them. So I thought it would be so helpful for you to know these tips since they really worked for me, and they will certainly work for you too. So here are my 6 favorite tips on how to get things done without feeling overwhelmed. Keep on reading!
6 tips on how to get things done without feeling overwhelmed
1. Brain-declutter
I know you probably had this feeling when you feel so overwhelmed by so many things on your mind; and you want to do them all at once but don’t know where to start. Here’s a thing: take a piece of paper, write down everything that’s on your mind. Just writing things down, getting it out of your head and onto paper makes it feel a bit more organized. You may feel overwhelmed seeing it all but that’s where the next step comes in.
2. Prioritize and Organize
Now that you have ALL the things out of your head and onto paper, it’s time to organize it all. First start by categorizing it all. Then put it all in order by time, what needs to be done first or what needs to be done now?
After doing that, your list may still look and feel overwhelming, but just remember that you don’t have to do ALL the things. Start culling the list. What can be eliminated from your list, what can be delegated to someone else, what can wait until you have more time (next month, next quarter)?
3. Focus on Results
Now focus on only the things that will bring you the results you want. What was your goal; will doing these tasks relate to your goal? At the end of this year or this quarter or this month, will you feel accomplished and closer to your goal by doing these certain tasks? Choose the tasks that will.
Still have a lot on your list and don’t know which to start with first? Then choose the one that excites you. The one that is fun, the one that brings you joy.
Now that you have a smaller list it’s time to finally plan! Don’t you already feel less overwhelmed? Now here are some of those tips I promised you…
4. Turn it Into a Daily Routine
Using your planner should become a part of your daily routine. I always spend 5-10 minutes at the end of my day to plan for tomorrow, today. Pick a time of day when you have a few extra minutes to write down your notes and plans for the upcoming day or week. In the afternoon I always check my planner to see what I have accomplished and what still needs attention.
5. Write only 3-5 Tasks on your Daily To Do List
The best way to get overwhelmed with planning is by trying to do EVERYTHING. You don’t need to do it all. You just need to focus and finish on one thing at a time. When making your to do list every night think of the 3 biggest things that absolutely needs to be done and which will help you move you closer to the results you want.
6. Set Just a Few Goals
Be easy and simple with your goal setting. You don’t need a bucket list of goals, but just some realistic and achievable goals to get started. Choose only 1-2 to focus on for now. I would start with planning for the next 90 days, what would you like to have accomplished at the end of those 90 days? Ask yourself that question and focus on that result. Doing too much will only overwhelm you. And do not write your goals and projects on your to-do lists. Break it down from there into projects and then break those down into tasks. Every day when you’re making your plan include some of those tasks into your daily to-do’s. Soon you’ll be finished with that project and one step closer to your goal!
