Are you feeling overwhelmed with your to-do list and don’t know where to begin? I’m right there with you! I finally found a way to get all those swirling ideas out of my head and onto paper so that I can increase productivity.
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I love getting things done. For years, simple to-do lists worked like a charm. Jot things down, mark them off once completed. Pretty simple, right? Well, as I’ve added more kids to the mix and my head can’t ever seem to stop spinning, I quickly realized that my sense of overwhelm was starting to impact my level of productivity.
I was starting to feel so overwhelmed with all of the things that I wanted or needed to do that I became paralyzed. Rather than jumping into my task list, I’d retreat and bury myself in my smart phone. Something had to change.
Thankfully, I’ve found a method that has significantly reduced overwhelm and has helped me increase productivity.
1. Do a weekly brain dump
I start each week on Monday morning with a brain dump. Sometimes my head is my own worst enemy. My plate is full and I don’t want to forget anything so my mind races a million miles a minute. Can you relate?
Jot down everything you have on your mind. Get it down on paper. Look ahead at your week and write down those things that you don’t want to forget. List other things that you’d like to get done too. Projects you’d like to tackle or errands you’d like to run that may not be necessary.
Now that I’ve been doing this a while, I do my brain dump in categories. They typically include: home, money, church, blog, etc. You don’t have to do it this way, but this has worked for me.
2. Make a to-do list
Once my brain is empty, I can focus on creating a plan. Since I know I won’t forget something important (because I did my brain dump), I can take a deep breath and figure out how to make things happen.
Make a daily to-do list based on the items from your weekly brain dump. You can’t tackle everything in one day, so create your to-do list based on what is feasible on that specific day. Consider deadlines and what items are of highest priority on certain days of the week.
When you create your to-do list is entirely up to you. Some people like to do it the night before, but I typically work on mine first thing in the morning while we are eating breakfast.
3. Time block your day
Before I had children, the standard to-do list would work perfectly for me. Now that I have young children, I have to be more strategic about getting those to-do’s marked off my list. I can’t just write them down and expect them to get done.
Take your to-do list and time block your day. If you’ve never heard the word time block, here’s what I mean. Assign a time of day to each task on your to-do list. Take the items from your to-do list and decide when you will do them.
Be sure to factor in lots of margin, especially if you have children. You might be ambitious with your time blocking, but it will not be as effective if it’s not realistic. If you think a task will take 30 minutes, you might consider giving yourself 45 minutes to an hour. I rarely fill in every time slot of my day.
4. Get to work!
My plans are only as good as the effort I put into accomplishing them. If I’ve been honest and realistic when creating my time blocked day, then I should be ready to hit the ground running!
Keep your time block near you and get to work. Set a timer if you think it will help you stay on track. Give yourself incentives if that keeps you motivated (no coffee until you get X done!).
Mark things off your list as you finish them. I love that feeling, don’t you?!!
This method has been a huge help to me when I’m feeling completely overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin. It ensures I get things out of my head and onto paper. Then, I can create a plan of attack that is realistic.
Since you may need some help to reduce overwhelm and increase productivity, I created two FREE printables to help you get started.
As always, show yourselves grace, friends! It’s wonderful to increase productivity, but not at the expense of your relationships and sanity. Hopefully this method will help you get the important things done so you can live a less overwhelmed, more productive life!
If you are looking for some extra encouragement for increasing productivity in the morning, then check out Crystal Paine’s 14 day Make Over Your Mornings course*. It takes 15 minutes each day and may be the boost you need to get your mornings started off on the right foot! It’s very affordable and she offers a money-back guarantee so there is no risk!
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What helps you reduce overwhelm and increase productivity?
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