Stop – Take Five and Prioritize
By Sarah Hoenicke, Senior Implementations Analyst
Each of us has had an overwhelming day, week, or month where we just don’t know where to begin! Where should we start?? STOP and take five minutes to prioritize. Whether it be at work or at home, I think we all can agree that we can get so over-whelmed that we don’t know how to tackle the never-ending list of tasks that are piling up in our minds. To alleviate this out-of-control feeling, create a to-do list at the end of each day and then use it at the start of the next day as a clear road map to guide you as you tackle your projects.
Working from a to-do list has led to some of my most productive days. I include both personal and work-related items on my list such as responding to emails, quality assurance testing items, following up with vendors, going to the gym, taking vitamins, registering the kids for extracurricular activities, finalizing dinner plans, etc. This, too, can create anxiety as you see the list of items grow longer and longer. To control this negative reaction, it’s recommended that you do a controlled or mini mind dump. Take no more than five minutes to write down every single thing you can think of that you need to do in the next week. Log everything – both personal and professional items – just to get it all out of your head and then put your list away. This is a data dump, a psychic release that is not meant to be treated as your to-do list. Don’t waste your time or energy worrying about items that you do not need to be actively working on, just write them down and put the list away. According to a recent Forbes article, your actual to-do list should be short and simple, and it should have no more than three things on it on any given day. In the event you complete all three items on “Today’s To-Do List,” you can grab your data dump list and tackle a few additional tasks from it.
When you can see all of your outstanding items at a glance, you can more easily prioritize what most needs to be done according to importance. You will gain a sense of control and positive feelings of productivity as you check off items on your list. Seeing your list lessen as you cross off completed tasks will naturally make you feel less stressed and allow you to relax. Your act of writing items down holds you accountable to accomplish the tasks.
Not a pen and paper person? Block out time on your calendar to complete tasks. When you enter an activity on your calendar, you’ll be more likely to commit to it and see it through to completion. Remind your-self that it’s okay if you’re not able to accomplish EVERYTHING on your to-do list for any given day. When you are making your list, refer back to the previous day and carry over any pending items to your new list and start the new day on a fresh note.