Feeling overwhelmed about all the things you need to get done?
I don't know about you, but it feels like the list of tasks that need to get done on a daily basis seems to continue growing, regardless of how many things I check off in a day. But, it turns out that this feeling will continue, unless you create some boundaries around your schedule and a clear strategy for how you will prioritize and navigate your schedule.
That's what career development is all about, taking clear actions to control your career versus letting someone else control it for you.
Here is a quick strategy to take your to-do-list from overwhelm to accomplished in just 5-minutes a day.
- Do a quick brain dump of everything you “need” to get done this week.
- Stack rank what must be completed today and in what order.
- Then, draw a line underneath the 3rd prioritized item on the list.
- Everything from #4 down is now on your NOT To-Do List.
- Don’t be tempted to start on anything below your top 3 prioritized items. You will just get distracted and have a list of half-done items. This is how you spiral and are always feeling like you are on the hamster wheel. And the reality is, there will always be something else to do.
- Celebrate your wins for today, and tomorrow start your list over again.
This may seem like a simple strategy. But, some of the most effective career strategies are.
By having a prioritized list of just a few things, you’ll actually start to work through that To-Do List and feel accomplished at the end of the day.