Deadlines, deadlines, all around. The sky is raining projects and they’re all falling on me! The pile of books and papers on the floor and on the tables is already a foot deep. It’s getting hard to work through. I can hardly work because my mind is so full of the things I need to get done.
I know, I’m being a little bit melodramatic, but some weeks are like that. The key is not to get overwhelmed, but just keep plugging away and getting things done. Remember the 80/20 rule. There comes a point on any project when you have to just call it quits and move on to something else. In most cases absolute perfection is not necessary. It breaks my perfectionist heart to say so, but it’s true.
Another technique that I’m finding increasingly useful is putting off procrastination. It can be easy to put things off for later, but there are a lot of things that are better done right away, especially if they are small and easy to mark off the list. So switch things up a bit, leave the procrastination for later and get things done now.
I don’t particularly enjoy having my schedule so full that the only thing I do from the time I get up until the time I go to bed is work. Sometimes it’s the only choice though.
Any tips on dealing with an incredibly full schedule? Let’s hear them in the comments.
April 2, 2008 at 11:00 am
I think the key is NOT getting to the point where your schedule is that full! i.e. being okay with saying NO. Yet, of course, you often need that project so it leads on to the next.
The thing with procrastination is that the things you’re most likely to put off are the ones that CAN wait until the end of the day, or until the boss is around to see them happen. It’s always the small things that get me – but at least it’s not the large ones.
April 2, 2008 at 11:12 am
@torbjorn
True, saying no is important, and my preference is to keep my schedule lighter because too much to do tends to make living a bit of a drag. Right now I’m finishing up one project, continuing with school, and starting a new project. Before too long hopefully I’ll be back to school and only one project.
April 3, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Ah, I’m with you on that: working full time, taking a business course, and also about to get into some part-time school for the next year and a half.
Project wise I’m not stuffed to the tits, but I’m looking forward to a certain busy-ness (and we’ll see how long that feeling lasts).
April 3, 2008 at 6:57 pm
To-Do Lists!
I love them and use them all the time! Not only do they help you to organize your time and prioritize what tasks need immediate attention, but making a list means you won’t be wasting precious mental capacity trying to remember all the things you have to get done. As a bonus, you get a nice sense of accomplishment every time you physically cross a task off the list!
April 4, 2008 at 7:34 am
It’s strange how in our electronic world the to-do list is one of the few things we have that actually gives us something to look at and say, “I got something done”. It’s something you can actually see, one of the few remaining visual cues that we’ve been productive.
April 4, 2008 at 7:56 am
[...] my last post I mentioned that I was a little bit busy, to put it lightly. That’s probably why van [...]
April 4, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Find an equally overwhelmed friend. When I’m really busy, it helps to have an accountability buddy. You find the system that works for you, but I used to e-mail my list of accomplishments for the day, as well as my goals for the next day. It tends to work better when the reciprocal because then you both have to hold up your end of the bargain.
That said, I had a friend in college who scheduled every waking moment of her day. And she managed to fit quite a bit in. I like more fluidity.