Find Time When Your To Do List is Way Too Full - 3 Tips!

The Time Finder with Paula Eder

The way you use your time is the way you live your life.

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Find Time When Your To Do List is Way Too Full – 3 Tips!

Posted on May 12, 2009, under Time Boundaries, Time Priorities.

Finding time when your to do list is overflowing can be a formidable challenge!

Here at The Time Finder we are in the midst of getting ready to move our lists to a new e-mail provider. There are lots of details involved in this undertaking, and some of the tasks are complicated. Many of them are also sequential and time sensitive.

Adding this project to the other things on our to do list has raised some interesting time challenges here! Were it possible to work 24/7 we still couldn’t get it all done. Meanwhile, at that pace our efficiency and productivity would suffer – not to mention our health and quality of life!

In situations like this prioritizing becomes an absolute necessity, as does the use of time boundaries!

I have created a prioritized list of tasks and have set aside extra time, separate from my ongoing tasks, for focusing on the list migration. I have dropped “non-essential tasks” from my to do list for now. They can be picked up again once we’ve finished the migration. For now, they simply add to the stress level.

I am using my time boundaries to maintain my focus on the tasks that are on the top of my prioritize to do list. My time boundaries help me to keep from feeling overwhelmed.

To help implement and maintain my time boundaries, I am using a timer much more frequently than I sometimes do. This also helps to keep me focused and encourages me to “let go” of tasks that may not be “perfect” but are “good enough.”

When you have a lot on your plate, it is very important to prioritize, have boundaries about your time, and keep yourself moving.

It’s also helpful to remind yourself that you won’t always be this busy! Plan in a reward for yourself once you get through this span of time. That can help both as a motivation and as a validation of your efforts!

How do you find time when your to do list is too full? Drop us a line here at the time finder — we’d love to hear!

What if you could find another hour every day? You can! You are invited to sign up and download The New Finding Time Boundary Template. It’s FREE, and when you sign up you will also receive (if you don’t already) my FREE, weekly Finding Time Tips and my FREE, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!

Let’s explore time together …

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There are 4 Responses to “Find Time When Your To Do List is Way Too Full – 3 Tips!”

#1 Alison - 12 May, 8:06 AM

I appreciate your sharing your real-time challenges and approaches in such a detailed way! I’m going to try applying your techniques more consistently for my current workload…

#2 Paula - 12 May, 6:53 PM

I’m so glad that you find the posts helpful. It is interesting how the stressful times present big challenges and, right along with them, big opportunities to learn!

#3 beingtotal - 12 May, 7:00 PM

One of the things I find most useful in managing time is to do the things I have appropriate energy for whenever possible. What I mean by this is that if I have a lot of physical energy, I will mow the lawn; if I have good focus I will make sure to do the detailed planning I may be less equipped to do at a different moment; if I am in a social frame of mind I will answer phone calls, etc. While it is not always possible to do this because some things must be done no matter how I feel, I find that doing things this way allows me to be much more efficient. I also feel better inside myself than I do if I force myself to do tasks I do not have the right energy to take on.

#4 Paula - 13 May, 7:52 PM

Hi and thanks for your comments, beingtotal! I love your observations about going with the flow of your energy whenever possible. I can certainly see how it would enhance efficiency – AND enjoyment. Thank you for sharing your insights here!

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