Too much to do, not enough time.
This post originally appeared onZen Habits.
How can we deal with this in a sane way?
Ill offer five suggestions that work for me.
When you notice yourself feeling this way, drop in: notice how your body feels.
Notice how your body feels as your mind is spinning with anxiety or busyness.
They are your teachers, and this is your time to be mindful.
You dont have to spend a whole minute dropping in, but just take five or 10 seconds.
Just observe how youre feeling, observe your surroundings, observe how your thoughts are affecting you.
You probably cant do them all in the next hour even.
How many can you actually doright now?
This reminder is meant to free us from the idea that we need to do everything right now.
So instead, this allows us to focus onjust one thing.
Just pick one task, and focus on that.
Because the others, as urgent as they might seem, cant possibly be done right now.
So focus on one, and give it your full attention.
This is the most helpful way to work, in my experience.
It feels like were knocking a lot of things off the list, which can feel productive.
But its just running around like a chicken without a head.
If youre going to focus on just one task, its best to make it a good one.
Something that will have a decent impact on your day, your work, your life.
That probably isnt answering a bunch of unimportant emails or checking Facebook messages.
For me, writing is almost always the highest impact thing I can do.
Pick one from the latter category when it’s possible for you to.
That said, you still have to do the smaller tasks.
Answer the other emails, spin up the errands, clean the kitchen counter.
I like to take care of those between the bigger tasks, as a way to take a break.
Do something important with focus, then relieve my brain by cleaning or answering a few emails.
The key is not to procrastinate on the bigger tasks by doing the smaller ones.
You cant do them all now, so be here with the one youve chosen.
Set an intention for this task: who are you doing this for, and why?
Set a simple intention: Im writing this article to help my readers who are struggling.
Then let that intention move you as you focus on the task.
Remember your intention, then let yourself be fully immersed in the task.
This desire to get it all done is an obstacle.
Luckily, its a great practice to work with this obstacle!
The practice is letting it go.
Notice what you think you should probably do (your ideal), andlet go of it.
Be open to that idea, and the stress will be lowered.
And as you let go of your ideal and open to the reality, smile.
Be grateful for the moment you actually have, rather than wishing for the one you dont have.
Smile, and be happy now, rather than waiting for happiness to come at some unspecified date.
In the end, will these suggestions clear away your to-do list?
Youll always have a lot of things on your list, and not enough time to do them all.
Life is too short to spend most of it stressed out by an unchangeable fact.
We dont have to waste our time and mental energy worrying about too much to do.
Instead, we can smile and be happy doing what we can do now.
Its about clearing the clutter so we can focus on whats important, create something amazing, find happiness.
My name is Leo Babauta.
Image byJose Martinvia Unsplash.
