In this post, I am sharing with you the problem of juggling tasks, how to take the power back over your actions, and how to feel more confident and successful throughout your week.
A bit of backstory first – if you read my previous blog posts or viewed my content on instagram, you probably know that I am currently working a full-time job, have a part-time design and social media management job, and am also building this brand on the side. So I know a thing or two about a long to-do list! These are real-life tips and solutions that I have compiled to help all of us be successful. These tips are as much for me as they are for you!
THE PROBLEM WITH JUGGLING
Juggling is very reactive. That’s the problem. When we are constantly just juggling tasks, it’s super inefficient. We are just putting out the most urgent fires, all day long. We aren’t really moving the needle on anything. We are just trying to stay afloat. When everything feels urgent, nothing truly gets done well. Constant multitasking creates so much stress for me personally. I don’t know about you, but I want to feel in control of my actions. I HATE feeling like I am always behind and just treading water. So let’s fix that together.
POWER IN PRIORITIZATION
Learning to prioritize is how we will take back control over our actions. You may have a task list that feels like it’s a mile long. If you’re like me, you want that task list to be completely checked off by the end of the day. We both know, that rarely happens. Here are some steps we can take to feel more in control of our actions.
Remember that not every task is actually important or urgent
This one is huge for me, and I have to constantly remind myself of this. My anxiety likes to take over and make me feel like a failure for not finishing every single task. But the truth is, most of the tasks on my list are things that I am putting pressure on myself to complete. No one is expecting it to be complete, I am putting the expectation on myself. So all I have to do is remove the pressure of that task and will immediately feel less stressed.
If a task will take 2 minutes or less, just complete it right now before you start on a larger task
This idea is not mine. It’s called the 2-minute rule. It’s popularized by David Allen in “Getting Things Done” and James Clear in “Atomic Habits.” I started doing this and it’s a game-changer. Not only can you check a few items off your list quickly, but it helps you build momentum and feel a sense of accomplishment early on. It’s an automatic energy-booster.
Remember that you have the power to control your energy
Your energy and mindset are literally the foundation to everything you do. When I feel myself getting stressed and anxious for no reason, I ask myself “is this thing you’re anxious about going to matter in 5 years or even tomorrow?” and if the answer is no, I do my best to let it go. It’s hard and my brain tends to spiral on repeat. BUT I am in control of my energy and how I want to feel for the day. The way I approach my circumstances is fully in my control. If you shift your mindset, you can change the trajectory of your whole day for the better.
SIMPLE FRAMEWORKS THAT I USE
Here are some simple frameworks that you can put into practice to take control back over your day. I currently use these strategies!
Top 3
Set your long task list to the side for this. When you are prepping for your day, open your planner and write in the top 3-5 priorities that must be completed today. Those tasks are your main focus. If you have a regular day job like I do where you deal with customers, answer phones, respond to emails, and other tasks like design, proofing, order processing, etc., it can feel very overwhelming when the day is busy. SO this is why you write down your top 3-5 tasks and focus on those throughout the day. If you get distracted or pulled away to answer a phone or deal with a customer, you come back and glance at your planner to see the tasks you need to remain focused on. I like to try and complete them as early as possible so that I have more flexibility in the rest of my day.
Time Blocking
Since I started my part-time job, I have needed blocks of time to work on these tasks. I like to have enough time to get into a flow-state with the work and complete larger chunks of work at a time. So I carve out time during my week for this. It’s typically right after my day job, before bed, or weekends. Not only do I carve out the time, I make sure I know what I will be working on during that time. So I waste no time fumbling around and trying to decide what needs to be done. My point is, for some tasks, you will need more than just a few minutes to actually move the needle. So go ahead and schedule in blocks of time into your planner for these tasks. It always makes my week feel smooth and I feel confident knowing I have time allotted to completing those tasks. It reduces my anxiety of feeling like I don’t have enough time.
80 / 20 Rule
If you’re not familiar with this concept – the 80 / 20 rule states that 80% of your results will come from 20% of your actions. I typically hear this discussed when talking about building a business or growing on social media. But I think it can apply here as well. What we want to do is be intentional about identifying the actions (the 20% actions) that will reap the results we are looking for (the 80% results) – whether it’s in our day jobs, building our own business, or reaching personal goals. Figure out which tasks really help you move the needle and double-down on them! Make less time for the tasks that aren’t serving you.
ACTION
Now that we know the strategies, here are some ways you can take ACTION. Because without acting on them, these tips won’t help you be successful.
Set realistic deadlines
For some tasks, you will not have a choice when it comes to the deadline, because it will be dictated by the customer, or your workplace, etc. But the tasks you can control the deadline for – give yourself some cushion. I typically will give my customers a deadline a little further out than the deadline I write down in my planner. This way I am typically delivering ahead of schedule. Or if I have some sort of emergency come up, I have a grace period built in. Be kind to yourself. Expect things to take longer than anticipated, and build that into your timeline.
If the task is something personal or doesn’t have a deadline, you can try giving yourself a deadline to help you make progress. For example – these blog posts are completely my decision. No one is making me publish a new blog post every month, but I set deadlines for myself and I do it! Because I believe these posts are helping you and I want to continue providing value and sharing my own experiences with planning and goal-setting. I know that by the middle of each month, I should at least have an idea for the following month’s post so I can be writing as I get time.
Batch tasks
Batching similar tasks together while you are working is super efficient. For example – if I am creating a new planner dashboard design to launch in my Etsy shop, I will first design the dashboard in all the different planner sizes. Then I create all the listing photos for each size, so on and so on. I don’t create the design for one planner size, then create the listing image, then list the item, then start on the next size, I do all the similar tasks at once.
Plan your day before bed
Before bed, grab your planner and write in your top 3-5 priorities for the following day and add any time blocking you need. Remind yourself of any scheduled events or deadlines. This helps reduce decision fatigue because you will already know what to work on the next day. It also reduces anxiety because you are being proactive before it even starts.
CONTROL BEATS OVERWHELM
Feeling in control over your time and tasks beats feeling completely overwhelmed any day. By prioritizing and planning, you are being proactive. This is preventing you from just reacting to everything life throws at you. Because life WILL throw things at you. I have dealt with so many things the past few months in my personal life, including death of loved ones, struggling with the cost of living, and feeling burnt-out. BUT I am still taking control of the things I CAN control and empowering myself to make the most of each day. Do I feel like a superwoman everyday? Absolutely not. I have days that I get sick or am not feeling well and just do the absolute bare minimum. That is okay and it happens. But how you pick yourself back up and continue is what matters. Don’t just wallow in self-doubt. Before you find yourself just juggling everything, be proactive, grab your planner and choose to feel organized and confident to tackle whatever the next day brings.
IN THE WORKS
I am currently working on a guide – all about getting out of a rut, taking control of your time and energy, and living life with intention. This guide will include modules – kind of like a course that you can take anytime and will have lifetime access to. It will also come with a workbook and multiple free downloadable tools to help you take back your time and energy.
I would love to hear your thoughts and current struggles with time management, habits, routines, etc. Reach out to me via email or instagram if there’s a specific topic or problem you would like for me to address in the guide / workbook! Be looking out for more updates over the next month about this!
STAY IN TOUCH!
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