It happens to all of us. Usually, your to-do list is numerous like the sand on the seashore (or at least it feels that way). In an attempt to get your busy life under control, you make jottings everywhere!
Consequently, you can easily find little pieces of paper with scribbles of tasks in your handbag, your desk, and your laptop bag. Can you get your busy life under control?
Recently, a few deadlines have slipped your mind, resulting in unwanted penalties. Your world is out of control and you want to do something about it. Not too long ago, I missed a deadline to pay my registration fees for my postgraduate studies. The late fee was 1000% more. SMH!
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As we look at God’s creation, it is an orderly masterpiece. Since you are made in the image and likeness of God, you will be naturally drawn to order rather than disorder. In brief, a chaotic life is filled with inefficiencies and an unnecessary waste of time and resources.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27
Sadly, disorder has described my life from time to time. These short seasons have occurred when major events have interrupted my normal routine, like organizing a huge event; planning a wedding; having a particular busy work season; going on vacation overseas; and the like.
I love being organized so when things begin to slip through the cracks, it just doesn’t feel good. Like you, I have to make a decision – be swallowed up or take action. Eventually, I gather myself together and begin to take control of my life.
Here are five steps that can help you to get your busy life under control:
Step 1: Make a master list.
When you feel overwhelmed by a large number of tasks, you need to see what you’re dealing with in plain sight. This step involves brainstorming and recording all your tasks in one place. At this point, you need to gather all your recorded tasks from your ‘Note’ app, your pieces of paper littered throughout your belongings and anywhere you have made jottings.
It’s very important that you record/write down all your tasks. Hence, your tasks cannot remain in your mind if they are to get done in a timely fashion. If not, you’re likely to miss important deadlines and feel overwhelmed in the process.
A key point is to have your list easily accessible so that when a task comes to mind, you add it to that one list.
Step 2: Divide the list into several categories.
The categories are as follows:
D -Delegate some tasks.
There are people in our lives who would willingly bear some of our burdens. As such, you can delegate to others who have been hired to share the burden, like co-workers. If you like to always be in control and micromanage others, then you’ll always have too much to do. Instead, entrust some tasks to others so you can focus on only what you can do.
Imagine what you could do with the extra time if you gave away some control. They may not do it as well as you, but this is an opportunity to coach and develop them so you would not get stuck.
Persons in this category: team members, parents, siblings and friends.
H – Tasks that can be done by hired help.
Somes tasks can be outsourced to others. If you can afford it, it might be better to pay someone to relieve you of certain responsibilities. For this decision, you need to decide which resources you value more – time, energy or money.
Outsourced tasks: cleaning, cooking, shopping, cutting the lawn, and administrative tasks.
Alternatives to hiring help:
- Doing it less frequently;
- Postponing it until you have the time or you have the money to hire someone;
- Investing in equipment that makes your life easier e.g. a vacuum robot to clean your flooring.
- Making changes that will eliminate the need altogether (for instance, replace your lawn with a more manageable surface).
There are generally lots of solutions to solve problems if we take time to think, pray and research.
A – Ask for Assistance
You may have a friend who is skillful at a task that you absolutely dread. Perhaps, you can even swap responsibilities with your friends. Furthermore, you can just enlist their help to get the job done faster.
R – Remove some tasks
You need to evaluate if it’s worth your time to do certain tasks. If it is not important to your well-being, growth or overall development, then maybe you need to consider removing it altogether. Don’t overwhelm yourself with futile tasks. If clearing your Inbox is not a priority for you, then leave it undone. I just hope important emails don’t get buried:)
M – My tasks
This should be a list of tasks that only you can do for yourself. Read on…
NOTE: At this point, you just need to place “D”, “H”, “A”, “R” or “M” beside each task. Strike off the ones with an “R”.
Step 3: Have an action plan with dates.
For the next two weeks (or more), assign 5-10 tasks per day from your master list until none remains. Each day should have tasks with different priorities (high, medium and low).
Indicate the priorities next to each task so that you will know clearly the tasks that should be done first or should be done before the day ends. The ones with low priority can be rescheduled to another day if time doesn’t permit.
You want to have a manageable number of tasks per day. If you assign too many tasks daily, you may be unable to complete most of them and having to reschedule them regularly.
That, my friends, will not be very motivating. It’s better to make a little progress every day than pretend to be superwoman. Take it from me, being superwoman will cause you to be burnout. Read “9 Tips to Prevent Burnout”.
Also note that some tasks require a lot more time to complete. Therefore, on those days, you may need to lessen the number of tasks assigned for that particular day.
It is very important that each task has a deadline date. A date keeps you accountable to yourself. If you have no assigned dates, it is very likely that some tasks will remain undone until they become urgent. You might just be spending day-in and day-out wasting time and then rushing into emergency mode when you realize that a task is urgent.
Step 4: List all recurring tasks.
Some tasks recur daily, weekly, monthly, annually, or every five years (or the like). The daily tasks might have already become a habit, so you need a plan for the tasks that you might be more inclined to forget.
Some possible recurring tasks:
- Pay credit card balance
- Pay utility bills
- Write newsletters to your clients
- Pay car and house insurance
- Renew visa(s), passport, driver’s permit and national identification card
I’ve heard horror stories of people arriving at the airport and then realizing that their passport or visa has expired. With a plan, this does not have to be your story (anymore).
Therefore, a system is needed to cater for recurring payments on the due date. Also, it helps if you also have an alarm or notification for days or weeks prior to the due date to allow for adequate preparation. With a visa application, you need to allow time for preparing documents.
Step 5: Use a scheduling system.
Option 1: Use a notebook or planner .
Acquire an annual planner or use a plain notebook and customize it for your use. There, include dates and at the front and/or back, record all your recurring payments. When you use a new book in the future, you’ll need to transfer this list of recurring payments.
You may also want to use them in conjunction with your smart device to remind you of important commitments via an alarm bell or notification.
Option 2: Use an planner or scheduler app.
I use “Wunderlist “ which has some neat functions like the following:
- Highlight priorities;
- Automatically transfers due tasks to ”Today”;
- View overdue tasks with a quick and easy option to reschedule them;
- Sync across devices;
- Alarms to notify you (if you set them);
- Option to set recurring tasks;
- Ability to tick off completed tasks;
- Keeps a record of completed tasks; and
- Set a reminder time and date before the task is due. (Works well for important meetings).
It makes being organized very simple and easy. Furthermore, it’s available on all platforms. You might want to select an app with similar functions.
Related articles:
10 Ways to Realistically Achieve Work-Life Balance
Summary
It’s very easy to feel overwhelmed when there’s a lot to do. You don’t need to feel stuck because there is a way out. Stop, take a deep breath and start applying this five-step plan – make a master list; divide your tasks into five categories; have an action plan with dates; list all recurring tasks; and employ a scheduling system.
As you begin to accomplish your tasks, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and your life will become filled with more order. Enjoy the process and celebrate your small victories.
Was this helpful to you? What do you do when you feel overwhelmed with many tasks? Please comment below and let’s all learn from each other.
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With love,
Kimberly
Recommended Resources:
100 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Joyce Meyer
Simplify: 10 Practices to Unclutter Your Soul by Bill Hybels
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