Have You Got The Busy-Ness Bug?
The majority of my clients this week have come to me in a state of overwhelm, with so much to do and no idea where to start.
I know they are not alone in their suffering. In our society today, there is a prevalence of the busy-ness bug. Too much to do, too little time and too many distractions.
To conquer this bug, and combat the overwhelm that it leaves in its wake, we need strategy!
Most importantly, to begin with, is to PRIORITISE your tasks. Might sound simple, however planning for your highest priority tasks each day, week and month will help you to keep overwhelm at bay and stay productive.
Planning first thing in the morning for your day, so you have a clear direction to follow, helps to eliminate decision fatigue and allows you to get straight into work or home tasks without being distracted.
Reviewing this list of tasks at the end of the day and evaluating your productivity (or perhaps why you didn't end up getting done what you set out to) is equally as important.
Doing these check-ins every single day, using the first ten minutes at your desk, or on your commute or even in the shower, sets you up for success. And having that end of day evaluation means you're already one step ahead for the following day!
One of the other hacks I recommend for my clients is the "big rocks" system. If you think about filling a jar efficiently, it would make sense to put big rocks in first, and then use pebbles or sand for the gaps.
In terms of objectives, you need to get the bigger ones done first, hence prioritising the most important tasks. If you fill the jar with sand or pebbles first (equivalent for the busy-ness, noise, procrastination that you might be prioritising in your life), you won't be able to fit all the big rocks in.
It becomes distracting and overwhelming when we give too much focus to the smaller stuff and not enough to the bigger stuff. By prioritising our "big rocks" instead, we allow ourselves to move closer to our goals and objectives.
I am working on a planner that helps to map out this big rocks theory into a daily exercise to keep you on track with your goals. More on this soon, stay tuned.
