It's easy to look at your to-do list and feel overwhelmed, so I'm writing out this reliable step-by-step plan as a reminder for you as well as for me:
- Rank your important tasks by urgency. If it's not an important task, drop it!
- Break down your most urgent, important task into baby steps—no matter how small.
- Now, as Nike preaches, just do it. Once your current task is finished, go back to step 2.
This may be obvious, but you'll be surprised (or maybe not surprised at all) by how many people don't differentiate between important and unimportant tasks, jump around between tasks, or can't bring themselves to get started.
If you find it difficult to get started (which is often the hardest step), I find it helpful to remind myself why my current task is important. Examples: I should finish this workout to get in shape so I can be healthy later to spend more quality time with my family, I should finish this paper to improve my writing skills and land my dream job, I should finish this lab early so I am not stressed two weeks from now. Whatever it may be, spending a few minutes to visualize the "why" makes it so much easier to get started.
And, with that, I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!
- Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!