Patti Digh says, “Sometimes our stop-doing list needs to be bigger than our to-do list.”
Is that you? Have you been doing so many things that you’re exhausted and want to run away? Do you even have a rigid to-do list on the weekends for things you didn’t get done during the week? I’ve been there. Especially when my kids were younger, we were homeschooling, I was caring for elderly relatives, and I was tutoring at our co-op.
But even now, I sometimes think I need to keep adding to my to-do list. And then I become overwhelmed, moody, anxious, depressed, stressed, don’t eat well, have digestive issues, and the spiral happens. Yes, it does happen to me, too. I’m a regular person like you are.
Why Do We Do This?
Sometimes it’s because we think we need to be “productive” in order to feel worthy or that we are useful. Dr. Caroline Leaf puts it this way, “You don’t always have to be “doing” to contribute to this world. Your presence is enough. Your value is not based on what you do or accomplish this week, month, year, life.” We know that the Bible says we were created in the image of God. He loves us just because.
But sometimes that’s so hard to do, right? We think at the end of the day we need to be able to state all we’ve done and check off our to-do list.
Now, I love a to-do list because it does help me accomplish tasks that I have to do. But you know what, we don’t always have to do this. Even though they help with structure and stress reduction, to-do lists can also add to anxiety. You may feel frustrated if you didn’t accomplish every single item on your list. And then you move it to the next day, and the next, and the next. And then feel guilt and shame.
I think we misunderstand the most important reason for having a to-do list. A to-do list is less about getting all tasks done and more about prioritizing and getting the right things done.
If we don’t assign deadlines to tasks, then our to-do list is nothing more than a wish list. So to help with that, simply estimate how long you think it will take, and give yourself a deadline.
Sometimes we can be so busy with so many tasks because we make our to-do lists way too long. I’m guilty as charged. I sometimes run out of room on my list and then I have to go to page 2. Now let’s think about that. That’s really crazy! I might finish two pages in a week but not in one day, right?
So the best solution for this is to only have about five tasks on your to-do list for each day. We need to feel a sense of progress and accomplishment at the end of a day. If you limit the numbers, you will. Plus, you’ll get done the ones that are the most important and you won’t be so overwhelmed and stressed at the end of the day.
Sometimes one problem is we have so many options of tasks in numerous categories. So categorize your to-do lists by projects and tasks and just pick one thing from each category to do each day.
And here’s the last thing we often do. We don’t think of the impact factor for each task. We work on easy ones first such as answering emails or being in a meeting or passively watching a webinar instead of writing a report, a blog, a book, or cleaning out the kitchen drawers or the garage. When we fail to prioritize and work on high impact tasks, we are always busy but never getting things done. Have you ever felt this way? I know I have.
Lack of direction, not lack of time is the problem. We all have 24 hour days.
Zig Ziglar
So when we lack direction, we are spinning our wheels and are unfocused.
Instead, pause, get focused, and make that to-do list with only five tasks so you can accomplish them by the end of the day. And then you won’t feel so overwhelmed and stressed which is beneficial for your mental and emotional health.
Ideas To Do This Week:
- Make a list of all your tasks and put them in five categories.
- Each day pick only five tasks for your to-do list.
- Include some top priority tasks and some low priority ones.
- Do the top priority items first.
See how you feel at the end of the week. Often when feeling overwhelmed and stressed, we experience symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, headaches, and anxiety. So when we actually train ourselves in simple ways to manage our time and decrease stress better, these symptoms decrease.
Do you need help in decreasing your stress, fatigue, weight struggles, and digestive issues due to overwhelm and an overscheduled life? If so, I’d love to help. I’m a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach who works with women having these symptoms and many have autoimmune and hormonal issues as well. I’ve also walked the journey personally. We use holistic strategies, nutrition, and lifestyle modifications to help decrease symptoms and improve quality of life. So reach out to me and schedule a free 20-minute consult to see if we’d be a good fit to work together. You can schedule that by clicking here. — Leah Cheshire, NBC-HWC
