How to Get Things Done Without Stress
Do a five minute brain download., Capture your daily thoughts., Make a list every morning., Focus on your to do list for today., Organize your to do list by activity., Do the things on your list., Avoid multitasking., Create a sealed off work zone.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Do a five minute brain download.
Write down all the things that you need to do.
This will help relieve some anxiety.
Rather than having to rehearse the things we need to do in the back of our mind, we can look at them on paper.
We can begin to trust the process of making a to do list, instead of bottling up our anxiety about what needs to get done.Circle the things that look especially important and make a plan for them.
Separate out the things that seem less important.
Don’t worry about these things for now. -
Step 2: Capture your daily thoughts.
Use a notebook or your phone to record your daily thoughts about what you need to get done.
Using the thoughts you have written down, make a to do list.
You can use a voice recorder on your phone to record thoughts.
For instance, record thoughts while waiting between meetings or at the subway station.
It can be relaxing to work on your to do list during these in between times. , At breakfast, write down your to do list and think about how you will tackle it.Which things on your to do list are urgent, and which items can wait? Rank your to do list by level of importance.
If you feel overwhelmed by your list, take a deep breath and relax.
Try underlining just a few of most important things on your to do list., If you have a master list of all the things you need to do, pull out only those things that you need to do today.
It is helpful to focus on 1-3 of your most important tasks.
Try to focus on the most important things early in the day.
If you leave the most important tasks till late in the day, you may not have time.
You will feel better if you get the big stuff done early., If you need to do some things in the car, list all those things under one category.
If you have a bunch of things to do on your computer, you can make a category called computer work.
This way you can save time by getting similar things done all at once.
If you have a bunch of work that is waiting on someone else, you can have a category called waiting.
When things on this list become active again, you can move them back onto your regular to do list., Relax, take a deep breath, and do the things on your list.
Prioritize the activities as you move down your list.
Try to follow the rankings you have created and do things by type of activity.For instance, start with all of your chores that involve driving.
Circle those things on your list, and complete them. , Trying to work fast while multitasking actually leads to weaker productivity.You will just get distracted by all the shifts between tasks. , Switch off your phone, log out of email for a period, and focus on the work in front of you.
By avoiding interruptions, you will be able to focus and get things done. -
Step 3: Make a list every morning.
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Step 4: Focus on your to do list for today.
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Step 5: Organize your to do list by activity.
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Step 6: Do the things on your list.
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Step 7: Avoid multitasking.
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Step 8: Create a sealed off work zone.
Detailed Guide
Write down all the things that you need to do.
This will help relieve some anxiety.
Rather than having to rehearse the things we need to do in the back of our mind, we can look at them on paper.
We can begin to trust the process of making a to do list, instead of bottling up our anxiety about what needs to get done.Circle the things that look especially important and make a plan for them.
Separate out the things that seem less important.
Don’t worry about these things for now.
Use a notebook or your phone to record your daily thoughts about what you need to get done.
Using the thoughts you have written down, make a to do list.
You can use a voice recorder on your phone to record thoughts.
For instance, record thoughts while waiting between meetings or at the subway station.
It can be relaxing to work on your to do list during these in between times. , At breakfast, write down your to do list and think about how you will tackle it.Which things on your to do list are urgent, and which items can wait? Rank your to do list by level of importance.
If you feel overwhelmed by your list, take a deep breath and relax.
Try underlining just a few of most important things on your to do list., If you have a master list of all the things you need to do, pull out only those things that you need to do today.
It is helpful to focus on 1-3 of your most important tasks.
Try to focus on the most important things early in the day.
If you leave the most important tasks till late in the day, you may not have time.
You will feel better if you get the big stuff done early., If you need to do some things in the car, list all those things under one category.
If you have a bunch of things to do on your computer, you can make a category called computer work.
This way you can save time by getting similar things done all at once.
If you have a bunch of work that is waiting on someone else, you can have a category called waiting.
When things on this list become active again, you can move them back onto your regular to do list., Relax, take a deep breath, and do the things on your list.
Prioritize the activities as you move down your list.
Try to follow the rankings you have created and do things by type of activity.For instance, start with all of your chores that involve driving.
Circle those things on your list, and complete them. , Trying to work fast while multitasking actually leads to weaker productivity.You will just get distracted by all the shifts between tasks. , Switch off your phone, log out of email for a period, and focus on the work in front of you.
By avoiding interruptions, you will be able to focus and get things done.
About the Author
Janice Stone
Committed to making crafts accessible and understandable for everyone.
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