How to beat procrastination pt. 5 - Is there too much on your plate?
Being overwhelmed by too many commitments can lead to procrastination. Here's what to do
Managing the various demands of daily life can soon become overwhelming.
With work, family life, and daily chores, sometimes everything can become just too much. And that’s when you can start procrastinating on the small stuff, or sometimes the big stuff, from sheer overwhelm.
To alleviate this problem, ask yourself, is there too much on my plate?
Is it urgent?
Some people thrive under pressure.
Is it your case? Do you tend to procrastinate until the last minute, when the deadline is just around the bend? Do you have a clear idea of what’s actually urgent and important on your list?
The Eisenhower matrix can come to the rescue in determining what’s a priority and what can wait.
What you can do is jot down a list of your current commitments and quickly attribute them to this simple matrix. It should point you in the direction of your immediate priorities.
I understand that delegating tasks at work can sometimes be challenging, but stuff around the house can often be delegated to your children (depending on their age) and some can be outsourced, like ordering groceries or hiring help for house repairs.
Stick to 3-5 priorities
Once you’ve identified your current commitments and assigned them to their proper spot on the matrix, you should have a better idea of your priorities.
Stick to 3 current projects, or 5 if you have to include both work and professional ones.
I like to keep a list of upcoming projects, and a someday/maybe list of things I do not have the time to work on at the moment, but would like to get to eventually.
You can see on my PARA dashboard in Notion that I filter the view to keep track of only my current projects.
Review and reprioritize your list
Your project list is a living document.
To make it work, it is essential to review your list regularly. In Notion, I have a dashboard with all my current, upcoming and someday/maybe projects that I review weekly.
It might be possible, according to the pace of your current functions, that you would have to check in more than once during the week. Check off completed projects as you go and decide on your next action.
I like to use a Kanban Board to keep a bird’s eye view of everything that is coming up:
Learn how to say no
Arguably the hardest part about getting stuff off your plate is to learn how to say no.
This is especially hard for all the obligers out there who prioritize others above their own needs and wants. But learning how to say no is an essential skill to learn if you want to get ahead in life.
There will always be more demands, more so-called emergencies, and sadly, you can’t do it all.
Reading books on boundary setting can be a great starting point if you struggle with saying no.
What can you implement today to take things off your plate?
I’d like to know one thing you’ll try this week to lighten your load and make your to-do list more manageable.
Let me know in the comments below!