Was last month a whirlwind for you like it was for me? January is usually one of my busiest times, which is lots of fun but it also means that I tend to let a few things slide.
Weirdly, I also often let things slide in August, which is typically one of my least-busy months.
Why the heck is that?
For me, it’s that I’m either overwhelmed or… underwhelmed? I either have too much to do in a given week or not quite enough, and either way, I sometimes just lack the follow-through to take care of task-y things like typing up my notes or posting videos.
So how can you get things done when you’re either very busy or without structure to your day?
Naturally some of the answer depends on you and how you work best, but what I try to do is set small, focused task times for myself. I’ll often even set a timer. And yes, I do put each of these on my calendar:
8:15-8:35—organize finances (I put my least-favorite things first so they’re out of the way, and I often budget a slightly longer time for them)
10:00-10:15—update client notes
4:30-4:45—brainstorm content for videos
These small chunks of time force me focus but also don’t look like too much on my calendar. I approach each with the idea that I may not finish so I might need to schedule another session or two. But since I don’t have much time for each task, I find I’m often able to complete a lot in the time I ration for myself.
Importantly (to me, anyway), I also give myself little rewards for those tasks. If I’ve spent 20 minutes on my finances, for instance, I will have earned a second cup of coffee. If I’ve got my notes updated, I can let the dog choose his walk path instead of just a quick trip around the block. Today I got through a bunch of boring emails and then had an apple with peanut butter.
Do you have another approach to getting things done?