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Working On Getting Things Done

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Lately, the “To-Do” list in my mind has been growing and growing. It’s been driving me nuts. I’m constantly thinking of doing the things I need to do:

  • I need to get a package in the mail.
  • I need to send out some payments.
  • I need to shred some junk mail.
  • I need to file the papers scattered in groups around our house.
  • Etc, etc, etc.

I need to get these things done. Why? To calm my mind. While I’ve recently discovered a way that has been helping me to fall asleep at night (which I’ll share soon – it’s probably not what you’d expect), I still have this huge to-do list that is constantly running through my mind during the day.

There’s no reason why I can’t do these things. I can even enlist some help with doing most of it. But they are those tasks that linger around because you don’t really feel like doing them.

It causes stress, which isn’t good. I have to get them done. So, I’ve been working on them here and there. So far, I can already cross out the two easiest ones off of the list. The filing is also coming along.

It stinks sometimes to take the time to work on things that you may not necessarily like to do. But I already feel like some weight has been lifted from my shoulders because some items on my list are done and out of the way!

Nike sure was smart when they came up with the slogan, “Just do it.” πŸ™‚


13 Comments

  • Reply hot carl |

    you also need to gets those to-do’s out of my mind. get ’em written down somewhere or into your organizer or whatever you use. that helps me *tremendously*.

  • Reply jaye |

    A good question for us procrastinators to ask ourselves (when piling up papers, walking by full trash cans, planning to make an important phone call) is, “If not now, when?” I do find that helpful.

  • Reply nithin |

    yes, and you know I even got my work to go smoother after considering the fact, just do it.
    Even at the beginning and I’m new to blogging, I faced many problems. I could not manage my time, and became really difficult for me. But at those times, after seeing the quotation” just do it”, I feel much better and could carry on with my work.

  • Reply Matt |

    A lot of business and personal development books suggest that you tackle the most important and unpleasant tasks first thing in the morning. I agree with this type of thinking because it lets you start the day off but working on something important that will relieve stress.

    The little tasks that sit on your to do list will just linger and linger and just seeing them there brings undue stress. I’m now of the mind that I will tackle a couple bigger things and a few smaller things over the course of the day trying to make a dent in my list but I won’t stress myself out about not getting something done. If its important I should be doing it first thing in the morning.

  • Reply Frugal Dad |

    It’s a good idea to wipe these things from your mental inventory. I’ve heard these referred to as “open loops” and they are a big source of stress.

  • Reply Jim |

    I’ve got so much stuff to get on top of in my basement. There’s stacks of junk mail to shred I am tempted to take outside and burn instead. I have just been stressed out with all the things going on in my life right now it’s hard to focus on it. Sometimes I’ll sit down and work on it, and a few hours later it looks better but still isn’t complete. I like to see a task through to completion but this one has been lingering because there’s so much to do. My file box is full and I think I need another one or I should clean out the old stuff I no longer need. Once these little projects get done it will make it much easier to not worry about not getting something done.

  • Reply Ryan S. |

    I thought you were going to tell us how you were implementing the Getting Things Done system by David Allen into your life πŸ™‚

  • Reply Jo |

    You inspired me yesterday. My paperwork was leaking out of it’s hiding hole under the desk, so I got the shredder and sorted it. Admittedly the unshredded stuff is still in need of some sort of filing system. Baby steps though…

  • Reply Linda |

    I know exactly how you feel. I go through a similar thing at night… my mind runs 1,000 miles an hour. I think about everything that needs to be done, everything that’s been done and everything in between πŸ™‚ My little trick is to daydream about winning millions of dollars in a lotto. I spend most amount of my time thinking about how I find out that I won and how I prepare before I go to pick up the $$ versus how I would spend the $$.

  • Reply Danna |

    I do a “purge”. I just vomit up all the things I need to do. Usually I just open Word and type it all out. Does that make things get done faster…not really but it sure helps to get it out of mind.
    I also keep lots of lists…too many. Sometimes I have to sit down and combine them…God help me if I lose a list!
    Hang in there…you are doing a great job of reducing debt and blogging!

  • Reply Joy Smith |

    I feel for you because I know exactly what you are going thru! I have a ton of get done things to do and it doesn’t help that I’ve been laid off from my job at the moment. Hope you were able to get those things finished!

So, what do you think ?