Readers tell me they are so caught up in daily details that they don’t have time to step back and figure out where they are. They feel scattered, overwhelmed, and tired of running in high gear. Here is a quick method for reconsidering WHAT goes on your To-Do list, followed by 3 tips for getting things OFF the list.

TO QUICKLY REGROUP:

Make a list of everything that is BOTHERING you. Big things and little things. Don’t think much, just write quickly.

Spend a little time with this mix of worries, plans, problems, and objectives. What is this list really telling you?

• Do you see things that are getting in the way of doing what you think you are supposed to be doing?
• Do you see things that are closely related, or problems that are the root cause of other problems?
• Do you see things that really aren’t your concern?
• Do you see things that worry you but that you either can’t fix or don’t really need to fix?

With a little practice, the insights from this mix of items will help you quickly rethink the content of your To-Do list. 

Now lets look at some tips to help you finish things and get them OFF your To-Do list:

1. I is for Information or Ideas Needed

Some of the tasks on your list probably deserve to be marked with a big I: Information or Ideas Needed. These are tasks for which you do not have enough information or expertise to handle efficiently and effectively.

These items are often at the core of your feelings of being overwhelmed. Even while working on something completely different, these are likely to be gnawing at the back of your mind. These tasks are also the ones that often hang out on your To-Do list the longest.

The I tells you that you need to find some help:

• clarity of purpose,
• better instruction,
• a specific method or plan of attack,
• advice,
• someone to bounce ideas around with,
• or more extensive help.

Until you get the information you need, you will be playing at the edges of these tasks rather than making real progress. It is much easier to identify the help you need than to solve the problem without help. And often, just trying to identify the help you need makes the problem clearer and points you to a solution.

2. B is for Big Block of Time Needed

Some tasks require time to concentrate without interruption. Mark these with a big B. In this day and age of multi-tasking, we are often interrupt- driven. Worse, we are so accustomed to being interrupted that we constantly interrupt ourselves.

To tackle the B problems:

• choose a time and place with fewer demands,
• give yourself a specific time period to work,
• turn off the email alert,
• forward the phone,
• hang out a do-not-disturb sign, and
• don’t interrupt yourself until the time period expires or the task is complete.

3. 🙁 is for the Tasks you Hate!

Tackling the hated tasks will be easier if you:

• tell yourself that prolonging the agony only makes the pain worse, and
• set a deadline and reward yourself once the task is complete
• or, an alternative is to shame yourself into action: “Any self-respecting ____ would be embarrassed to admit this task is still undone a half hour from now!”

NOW MAKE A TO-DO PLAN

Rank tasks by importance, something you’ve undoubtedly done before. Be sure your sense of importance ties back to delighting customers, keeping the business strong, or supporting employees doing one of the former.

BUT you won’t necessarily DO the tasks in order of importance. The items marked I, B, and 🙁 are not just going to suddenly happen when they rise to the top of your priority list. Use the I’s to get the help you need, the B‘s to plan suitable blocks of time, and the 🙁 to set deadlines and rewards.