Have you ever caught yourself saying something like, “I have too much to do; I am behind. There is no way I can possibly work on projects that would help me do things smarter, clear my backlog, get ahead…” ?
Silly, yes? Yet we all get caught in this trap. It all looks too big to even think about. To get out, try these steps:
- Feel good. Then Act. If you are feeling bad about what you have to do or what you’re not getting to, no amount of activity will be very effective for very long. Feel better then move on to the next steps.
- List projects you could do. Make a list of the things you could do (regardless of how difficult to do they may seem) to work smarter and get ahead.
- Pick one project. Scan your list and select the one project that you find most compelling right now.
- Do the very next task. What is the logical next task that you would take to make some progress on this project? Do or schedule that task. Note how it feels.
- Repeat. Return to step 3 regularly. Use step 1 and step 2 as needed.
You will be back on track sooner than you think.
In your corner,
Mike