“I know what I need to do, but it just doesn’t seem to get done.”
I’ve been having a lot of conversations lately about managing demands and priorities.
Chances are you know what you need to accomplish too.
Those emails, that presentation, this form.
But the day flies by and you’re kicking yourself for barely making a dent.
What gives?
I’m willing to bet you rely on an amazing tool, one that has served you extremely well your whole life.
It’s gotten you through school, college, exams, work, so surely it will continue to serve you now.
It’s your big ole’ beautiful noggin. Well more specifically, your brain.
Spoiler Alert: Even your brain has a limit, friend.
There’s a good chance your brain is overtaxed. At capacity.
It is overloaded.
You put a lot of pressure on that extraordinary gift.
It’s already performing miracle after miracle, like:
- lifting your arms
- providing sensitivity to a hot stove
- putting sentence structures together so you can read this
- allowing you to mouth every word of “Ghetto Supastar” even though you haven’t heard it in fifteen years
It is remarkable what our brain can do.
So why do we insist on stuffing it to overcapacity?
For the love of all things empowering, please stop relying on your brain about WHAT you have to do and WHEN you’ll get it done.
Unfortunately, you can’t keep adding to your brain and then expect it over-deliver to keep you focused and on track too.
Instead, write down your most important tasks on a blank piece of paper or put it on your calendar, each and every morning.
There are two steps to make sure this works.
#1) Estimate the time it will take for each task.
The key word here is “estimate.”
I get you don’t know how long it really takes because you’re usually doing eight things at one time.
But put a stake in the ground. Estimate 20 minutes or 45 minutes or 62.8 minutes. Whatever it is, write it down next to your “must-do” task.
#2) Schedule that estimated time on your calendar in between all your meetings and other events.
Or at the very least, add the scheduled time to your list.
For example, if one must-do for today is to “Get back to Bob about pricing” it might look like this on your list.
Get back to Bob about pricing: 30 minutes: 10:30-11:00 am
It’s as simple as that.
This is super important because it provides the gap between what’s in your brain and what you can get done in real life.
(Yes, there is a big gap!)
In your head, you believe that you can get a lot more done than you can in reality.
AmIright??
It’s not your brain’s fault. Remember, it’s already doing a great job in so many ways.
But it’s up to you to give it the support it needs to make the leap between “here’s what I have to do” and “here’s exactly when I’ll get it done.”
That’s why it’s critical to get tasks out of your head and commit them to specific times.
The truth is you’re always going to have more on your plate.
The question is, how are you going to plan for the right next action?
To getting more of the right things done,
Mridu
P.S. If you’re ready to move from overloaded to in control and would love to learn more SIMPLE ways to get in control, set up a time with me to chat here.
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