GETTING IT DONE

I tend to put off my tasks and chores. I would love to win the lottery and pay some unfortunate soul do it all for me. Until then, I needed to come up with a plan to get stuff done. Getting things done can make you feel like it is a Herculean effort especially when you are already anxious.  How do you succeed at making a dent in your to-do list and actually get them done? I know my to do list is never ending especially being an only parent. I am being generous by saying my list gets half done and my NEED to get done tasks merge into an amorphous blob of goo in my mind. I like many, need to make all the stuff in my mind to stop moving so I can get stuff done.

These are a few ideas that I am trying so perhaps they will help you too.

1.    TRY to write everything down- Take a good fifteen minutes and write everything that you need to get done that you recall. It really does not matter if it is a task that needs to get done today or in two months time. The important thing is to get it all down in one big list. Once your fifteen minutes is up, put down your pen or stop typing. Good job as you just did a time management skill. Reward yourself for actually doing this step. I usually make a cup of tea!

2.    MAKE a smaller shorter list from your master list and transfer everything that can be accomplished in five minutes or less. Label this list SHORTLIST.  It doesn't mean the list itself is short it just means the items on the list are short tasks you can do in under five minutes. An example of this would be getting the mail and opening it, putting in the laundry or checking your email, unless you are like me and your email is never-ending.

3.    COMBINE similar tasks from your smaller list. Group together tasks that seem to naturally lend themselves to being done in a block. Running errands is great for this. You can head to the grocery store, do dry cleaning, head to the post office to mail that package to your Aunt Betty before she no longer needs it as lets face it, she is almost a century old. Chain as many short list tasks together as you want. You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish in a short time. 

4.    FUTURE chores that can be put off should be put on a separate list. Examples are clean under the basement stairs, which is no way to spend a perfectly sunny day. Who the hell wants to jump every time something softly touches your bare arm. Spider or dust bunny?

Enough with lists even though I did make a list to remind to finish this list of things to do. I am unusually patient but when my anxiety levels are sky rocketing, my patience is limited.  Now is the time we move into the execution phase of getting shit done.

I try to match my task to my energy level, like a dating app just less creepy. Take a minute to check in with yourself and your energy level. Do you feel energetic? Are you brimming with creativity and mental stamina? Do you feel like a truck just hit you and you are completely exhausted? If I am tired, I try to make phone calls or return emails. I finally look at the flyers that came in the paper four days ago. If I am feeling blah but good enough to handle errands, I do those just to get them done. We all need to eat so grocery shopping is almost always on that list. Every now and then, I have occasions when I feel loads of mental energy. Rare, but they do happen. I tend to write or type out my blog for the week during these times. I also will work on my other business, Younique when my mind is clear and ready for some action.  Now you can get gritty or more granular. Granularity basically describes how many little chunks of a big project can be broken into, kind of like sand. You will find yourself getting overwhelmed as you execute a task on your list so learn to break it down. Break it down into smaller pieces. Example, cleaning the house. Do dishes, wipe down counters, and sweep the floor.  Easy to do quickly and easier to break down. Do the vacuuming and dusting on your main level together. If you have a bigger task such as painting, tape the trim and move any furniture. Then when you are ready to paint, it is all ready to go. I am currently painting a few rooms and a few pieces of furniture as I am apparently a glutton for self-punishment. I do some trim in one room, tape another and then put a coat of paint on the desk that I am refinishing. It may seem like chaos to many but for my anxious mind, this is how I get it all done. Method to my madness!

Getting anything done when you are anxious can also include coping with perfectionism. I try not to give a shit what someone may think of my paint job but deep down in my soul, I want to be praised like a five-year-old. This is especially hard for people with obsessive compulsive disorder. Focusing on the task at hand will help get it completed. Even if it feels unsatisfying, the idea is to create an onward drive. You will get it all done, just maybe not in the speed you were aiming for. People fighting the beast daily still have to live in the real world, the world of doing. The infrastructure of getting things done when you are anxiety ridden is organization. I know it is hard to be organized when you feel like you are falling down a dark hole with no bottom. As with all things in life, you must try and try and try again, until you self-teach yourself to be organized. I know if you make the lists and check them twice, you will find out who is naughty or nice. Ok, maybe not but you will get some of your shit done and that is very satisfying. Reward yourself. Now go get'er done!

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