So Much to Do, So Little Time: Part 4, Getting the Little Things Done
If you haven’t yet read Parts 1-3 in my time management series, be sure to read back through the archives.
Tsh at Simple Mom shared a great time management tip a couple of weeks ago: Start Your Day by Eating a Frog. While the title may be silly, the premise is simple and valuable – if you start your day by doing that thing that you most dread, everything else will seem easy.
While I agree with her in theory, sometimes I find that what overwhelms me is not one gigantic thing that I’m dreading but the tons of tiny things on my to-do list that are trying to get my attention. If I’m being completely honest, it’s not having a big project in front of me that eats my productivity; it’s the little things.
My mom likes to switch up the old cliche and say that I can’t see the trees through the forest because I get so overwhelmed by my to-do list as a whole that I don’t know where to start, and it’s been known to paralyze me to the point where I get nothing done.
In these situations, I’ve learned that the best solution is to turn my to-do list upside down and start knocking out as many tiny things as I can. The same holds true whether I’m overwhelmed by my blog to-do list, by a messy house after a week of sick kids or by preparations for one of my kid’s birthday parties.
For me, knocking out the tiny things gives me a sense of accomplishment and visually makes my to-do list shorter, thereby making it less overwhelming and easier to tackle.
What methods do you use for conquering your to-do list? Do you often get overwhelmed by your to-do list as a whole, or is it the big “frogs” that stop you in your tracks?
I can’t stand when my list is long. I usually start with the small stuff…it makes me feel better being able to cross them off my list…with a big X in permanent marker too
Britt’s last blog post…My Purse
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Mandi, we sound very similar because I love to write huge long to do lists only to then be completely overwhelmed by them. First, I have to limit myself to a more manageable to do list daily, with a maximum of 10 items written on it, preferably 7.
For all the other things I think of but realistically won’t be able to get to today I have a running to do list, which can be quite overwhelming if I look at it, but it gets it out of my brain so I can stop worrying that I will forget it.
I also have lots of little things to do daily, but I will write them as a larger item on my to do list, so it is not so overwhelming. Such as, instead of writing put away clean dishes in dishwasher, reload dishwasher, wipe off table and counters in kitchen, and sweep floor in kitchen, I write “clean up kitchen.” I know the four things that need to be done, but I don’t write it all down in such detail because even though I want to (so I can check more things off my list) if I did this for everything my list would be so long I would be paralyzed.
Taylor at Household Management 101’s last blog post…Feb 27, Does A Messy House Make It Harder For Your Kids To Learn To Read?
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I find that when the to do list is a challenge, I pick 3-6 things that I absolutely must do that day and put them with numbered priority. This definately gets me going and then I, more often than not, end up getting the whole list done; and if not that’s okay too.
Elizabeth’s last blog post…Finance Friday
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Such a timely post! I also read Tsh’s frog eating post and have started to live by it. It has really helped me get through some things that I know would still be hanging around! I also took this philosophy into account at work, where I am actually using it more. I also read a few other posts over at MomAdvice and Organized Mommy which I’ve morphed with the frog eating into a system that seems to be working for me at work. I’m trying to apply it at home but haven’t quite gotten it smooth yet.
I hope to write a post about how I’ve put these three ladies’ tips into play but haven’t gotten around to it yet…maybe that needs to be my frog one day.
Lori’s last blog post…Get $5 from Lysol
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I have a routine in the mornings that is still being fine-tuned, but it’s working well for me. I get up around 6:00 to work out, then shower and get dressed before my boys even wake up! Then I get breakfast for my two oldest, and while they’re eating, I put laundry away from the night before, make beds, and swipe over the bathrooms with Clorox wipes. By the time I’m done with that, the boys are done eating and I help them get ready for the day and off to school. Then I get my baby out of bed, feed him, feed myself, and then clean the kitchen. After the kitchen is in tip-top shape, I vacuum my hard floors and my carpet, and whalaa! A clean home. By 10:30 in the morning, everything is perfect and the time is left for my kids! By that time, my kids are usually anxious for mom’s attention anyway! I love my routine, even though it has taken almost the entire 7 years I’ve been married to perfect it!
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Very nice article on time management. Thanks for the great tips!
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