By: D. A. Slinkard
What do you do when you have so many things that need to be done but you just do not know where to start? Does this sound familiar to you? This is an issue plaguing many people throughout the entire world. They know what needs to get done, but for whatever reason it may be, they are just paralyzed when it comes to getting started on their task. Sometimes life can be daunting like that, but no matter what, we still need to have a plan of attack. We still need to be productive each day, and this article is going to help you be even more productive with your time.
It is no surprise I am a huge fan of the written “To-Do” list because I am just like everyone else who has a ton of things going on in their life. The reality is we all have 168 hours per week, but the difference comes down to how we spend our time. The biggest lie I hear being told is there is not enough time in the week, yet I am able to look at two people who are getting completely different results. The one person does not have more time than the other, as every one of us only has 24 hours in a day. It comes down to the personal decisions we make in how we spend our time each day.
Too many people carry around in their head what needs to be done, and I personally think this is a bad idea. How easy is it to forget things, especially when you are busy? Let me phrase this another way — how easy is it to forget things as you get older? Get into the habit of writing things down. When I have a lot of things going on, I know that a generic list will not do, and I need to be a little more detailed. I make my detailed list, and then I prioritize the tasks by what will be the easiest to get done first.
I am motivated by being able to mark things off my list and go to the next item. If I get stuck on one task for too long, I can tell you I will begin to grow impatient, and before I know it, my attitude changes. When my attitude changes, then my day changes and the downward slope begins. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I have found that being the most efficient I can be requires me to be mindful of my attitude. When I am getting things marked off my list, my attitude is on top of the world. When I notice a mood change, it is then time for me to prioritize from my list something that is going to give me some momentum.
I like this method, but there are other people who would rather do their most difficult task first that way they have it out of their way. The thought process behind this is the remaining tasks will be easier to do because they have gotten the “tough one” out of the way. This approach may work for you, but it does not work for me. My brain is screaming, “Mark something off the list,” and so I respond by looking at my list and saying, “Okay, I am going to do this one right now.”
Speaking of “now” – this is another area that hinders people. Too many people want to wait a few more minutes before they get started on a task or wait until later, but I am going to encourage you to get started right away. The next time you are looking at your list, go ahead and decide right then you are going to get started, and then get started. For whatever reason, it seems human nature will have us watch one more episode of our favorite show or just one more YouTube video, and then we will get started. My challenge for you is to push all of this off to the side and just get busy. Besides, your list is not going to work itself, right?
Maybe there is something you like to do that helps you stay motivated on your task. Maybe there is a certain order in which you like to do things. I would love to hear from you, and my email address is listed at the top. Now, go grab your list of things to be done and get started right away!
By: D. A. Slinkard
D.A. Slinkard would love your feedback. You can contact him at da.slinkard@gmail.com
December 20, 2024
