The Best Way to Manage Through a Day When you Have Way Too Much to do

Have you ever had those days where you just had too much to do?  Those days where you felt you needed at least 4 to 6 more hours in the day to really get done everything you were supposed to.  Well, trust me, if you have ever experienced this issue, you are by no means alone.  Whether it is taking care of kids, running a company, studying for exams or completing all the tasks you need to at work, there are many people that have had days where they feel they just have way too much to do.

When these days occur, one of the most common strategies people employ is to focus on doing as much as is absolutely possible. They have a checklist of all the things they feel they need to accomplish for the day and they run from one thing to another as quickly as possible in order to get everything done.

They get a lot done, but at the end of the day, they are completely exhausted and have literally been running all day. They have expended way too much mental and physical energy. And, there are people who will even end up doing this day after day because they feel it is necessary in order to keep up with all they have to do.

But, there is a better way…an alternaview we should notice.

Increasing Productivity: The alternaview

Whenever you have way too much to do, don’t focus on getting as much done as possible, but instead focus on being organized and doing everything well. If you put your attention on being organized and doing things well, it is amazing how much your productivity will increase and how much more you will actually end up getting done.

Why?

Because when you focus on getting as much done as possible, it stimulates feelings and thoughts that actually work against you.  It is easy to fall into the trap of feeling scattered and rushed and before you know it you are also feeling overwhelmed. This is the exact opposite of how we need to feel in order to really be at our best and the most effective.

What matters the most is how we are feeling as we are working through our day.  If we can maintain a sense of calmness and productivity, we will be much more capable of effectively accomplishing all that we need to. And, that is why we should focus on being organized and doing what we do well because both of these things allow us to maintain a sense of calmness and productivity. When you have organized the way you are going to go about things and your focus is on doing them well, not quickly, you don’t feel frazzled.  And, ironically you accomplish so much more than you ever would have had you just been focused on doing as much as you could quickly.

How to use this alternaview:

1. Create a Master List. Before you do anything, you need to create a list that includes every single thing that you feel you need to do for the day.

2. Cross Things Off Your List. Okay, it is time to have a reality check with yourself.  What do you absolutely have to do for the day?  Did you include some things you don’t necessarily need to get done today?  Are you working against false deadlines that only exist in your mind?  Make certain your list is realistic and practical. You can’t do it all in one day so give yourself a break.

3. Organize Your List. Create a plan for what you will do first.  Depending on how you best accomplish things, you may want to start with all the big things and save the small easier tasks for last.  Personally, I start with one big task and then mix in small tasks so that I can see things dropping off my checklist.  You know yourself best, so determine what will work for you. The most important thing is that you have a plan of attack for the day.

4. Survey how you feel. If you find yourself feeling rushed, scattered or overwhelmed, then you need to focus on finding a way to your sense of calmness.  Perhaps that means you slow down a little or you focus on how much you have already accomplished.  Whatever your strategy may be, you have to make certain you are feeling calm and productive.  Your mindset throughout the day is one of the most important things and directly plays into being able to accomplish more and more.

5. Find a way to Enjoy Your Tasks. Even if there is something on your list that you just don’t want to do, you have to find a way to have a positive perspective and a way to enjoy yourself as you are doing it. It matters how you feel while you are doing something and the better you feel about it, the more effective and productive you will be.

6. Aim for High Quality. When completing a task, aim to do it really well.  Focus on how you can do it best and then devote a lot of attention and effort to what you are doing.

Conclusion

Don’t allow yourself to have another day where you are feeling scattered, rushed and overwhelmed by all you have to do.  If you focus on having a great mindset, being organized and doing everything well, you will always have enough hours in the day to accomplish everything you need to…Try it.  I promise it will work…that is the alternaview.

How do you go about managing through a busy day? Do you agree with this alternaview?  Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.