next »

[Brad Blackman]

When you look at your list do you get overwhelmed? I think my problem is I have so much on my plate I don't know where to start. A lot of these things are potentially small, but they add up pretty quickly. I experimented and tried to guess how long it would take to do a bunch of these things, taking a project-based perspective rather than a context-based one. A lot of the contexts are pretty similar, anyway, or there aren't enough in a single context to warrant using the context-based list.

I like the project perspective, but looking at how long it'll take to do a lot of these, I'm getting depressed and less motivated to do them.

Do you have this problem? If so, what do you do about it?

[Matt Wood]

When I feel overwhelmed by my list, it's usually a sign that I've committed to too many things.  This probably deserves another post, but I sometimes think that because people like us have optimized this "capture" thing, it becomes too easy to hang on to everything, whether it's really worth doing or not.  We don't miss a thing, but we probably catch a lot of junk we didn't need too.  So if it's troubling you, go back through that list and see if there are things that you can just delete or delegate.  I'd bet there will be.

[Jamie Phelps]

Do you have any sort of time frame for doing these things? I'm looking at the list and seeing a wide variety of stuff. Some of that stuff is definitely more pressing. Some of that stuff could be done further down the road. Maybe a better way to look at it is to decide how much time you are willing to devote to this list (per week maybe)? If you are willing to devote 4 hours per week to the list, then that would take you about 5 weeks to finish. If you can commit to an hour a day, it'll be about 3 weeks. Is that OK? If you need to have them finished sooner, you'll have to devote more hours per week. (Hurray, math!) As you get things done and add more to your list, you'll be able to tell if you need to be devoting more time or finding more creative ways to reduce the amount of time you spend on the list. If the list stays roughly the same length over the long term, you're golden. If not, you'll need to reevaluate.

[Jason Echols]

For me, it is no so much that the list...initially...overwhelms me.  In the corporate environment, you have so many people who, just like you, have lists to manage.  Where that becomes a problem for you is...when you become an essential part of accomplishing something on someone else's list (or in reality many someone else's).  That is where I have to keep sanity by blocking off time. I am having to do that now with it being accounting month-end. 

Put up a "busy" or "do not disturb" status on your corporate IM (or just turn it off completely), make an appointment with yourself and keep it.  Do not check email during these appointments.  You might even want to put a message on your phone or just not answer it.

I understand the concept of streamlining my lists.  I agree that sometimes we do capture too much stuff.  However, more times that not, just stripping down my list will not help.  That stuff still has to get done.

The feeling of being overwhelmed can only be remedied one of two ways.  By getting something off your list, and deciding you do not need to do it after all, or by completing the task on your list.

If you are painted in the corner to do the latter, the trick is to stop the interruptions and get it completed.

[MarinaMartin]

I love having a long list because it means I'm always "free" to choose to work on multiple things. This freedom translates into greater productivity. If you tell me to read my favorite book at 2PM, I will want to do exactly anything *but* that come 2PM. I treasure choices.

That said, I always pick 10 things from my Next Actions list that I am going to do on any given day. I often choose them with the Random Number Generator (http://www.random.org/nform.html), and I try to make all 10 things unrelated. I do far more than 10 things in a day, but having 10 things to jumpstart with leads to more progress and less time staring at the list.

I really recommend the Random Number Generator for times when you cannot pick what to do next. Sounds silly, perhaps, but it really works.

[Rachel Murphy]

When I feel overwhelmed by my list, it's usually a sign that I've committed to too many things.  This probably deserves another post, but I sometimes think that because people like us have optimized this "capture" thing, it becomes too easy to hang on to everything, whether it's really worth doing or not. 

This is exactly my problem. My list has become so long and overwhelming to the point I'm not really clearing anything off it. I'm good at capturing to-dos but I'm adding more to my list than I am capable of doing. A couple of days ago I decided to be ruthless and deleted all the items I no longer felt were essential. I now have a list that I can realistically manage.

I need to get better at regularly reviewing what I capture to see if it really does belong on my list or not. A weekly review isn't enough. It's hard to delete something once it's been on the list for a few days. I think I probably need to incorporate a more formal daily review too.

[Patrick Rhone]

This is a big part of why I have my "Today Card". I write three things from my list on it (and only three things) for that day. I then focus in on that card as my "really want to get done" list. I figure, I should be able to get at least three things done and, if I do, I feel like I have accomplished something.

Now, there still may be a big list sitting out there waiting for me but, by only ever focusing on a small section of it, it does not overwhelm me.

[Jamie Phelps]

I need to get better at regularly reviewing what I capture to see if it really does belong on my list or not. A weekly review isn't enough. It's hard to delete something once it's been on the list for a few days. I think I probably need to incorporate a more formal daily review too.

I think that if you are capturing directly to your task list, you're missing a crucial step: processing. After you capture those things that occur to you you still have to decide what it is and what it means to you. Is it something you should delegate? Are you able and willing to start working on it now or very soon? 

[Rachel Murphy]

I think that if you are capturing directly to your task list, you're missing a crucial step: processing.

I usually capture into a Moleskine for transfer into Things later. The problem is I invariably transfer everything without giving enough consideration as to whether it is still important. I would guess a third of what I write in my Moleskine in the morning should never make it as far as Things in the afternoon.

[Nathan Hale]

I get overwhelmed by the sheer size of the list as well, however it helps me to have due dates. Even if they're just "guides" and not strict times, it helps me organize my list in smaller, manageable chunks...so I only think about what I've assigned for today, this week, this month, or this year, and that's it. If really can't think of adue date for something, then there's a pretty good chance it'll land in my someday/maybe list.

[James Mallinson]

I break it all down, right down into the smallest piece of work I can do and focus on completing those over completing the entire project. Easier said than done sometimes but I usually find that if I'm dwelling on completing a project it's usually because I'm near enough to the end that I can finally see the "road" ahead.

[shris]

Hi.

When I had trouble with the sheer volume of stuff I had to get done a couple of years back, I used an approach I gleaned from the Slob Sisters--the Sidetracked Home Executives. They wrote a book on how to get your house cleaning into a routine that is organized and non-overwhelming, using an index card file.

Basically, the approach utilizes the 43 folders (tickler) but in an index card box. You write each item on your to-do list onto its own index card. If you want to add the GTD contexts into the mix, you can, or you can categorize the items by topic (as the SHE's do using rooms of the house) and jot down how much time you estimate it will take to complete the item. Then, after you have all the items written down, sift through your cards. Pick out the ones you're going to work on today and stick them on your desktop. The ones you're going to work on tomorrow go into tomorrows tickle folder. The next day, likewise. Do this for each day until you get to your weekly review day (assuming you have one). Stick all the rest of them into the weekly review day so you can review them and schedule them then.

Each day, you pull out what you've got in your tickler for that day only, and you work on that stuff that day. If you can't finish it all, then you decide where to re-file it--tomorrow or the next weekly review, or some other day. Give yourself permission to forget anything that didn't come up in the daily tickler. On weekly review day, do the sorting action for the next week, and stick any remaining items in the weekly review tickle file for next week.

You might have 100 items on your list in total, and therefore an entire pack of index cards in various spots, but you only think about the stuff you have on your plate *today*, and you know that the rest of the stuff is safely scheduled for some other time.

You can use color coding with highlighters or colored cards to mean different things depending on how you think about things. Different colors are easy to spot in the card box if you need to look up items for a status or something.

This approach is *awesome* for following up on @waiting for's, as well. You write down the thing you're waiting for and who owes it, then file it in the day you want to follow up on it. Or you can make your own tab for @Waiting if you want to keep them all together..either way will work as long as *you* know which one you're doing.

The only drawback (and the reason why I stopped using the card box for a while) is that the box itself is not quite as portable as a notebook or even a laptop. You can, however, find locking boxes if you need to take your box on the road. I have a nice unfinished wood one from the craft store that's extra deep so it has room for blank cards at the back. One of my somedays is to finish it so it looks cool. I just can't decide on the finish I want.

Anyway, giving yourself permission NOT to look at all the things at the same time goes a long way toward de-stressing over the size of the list. It does go back to the 'trusted system' though--you gotta use it devotedly or it won't work.

shris

[pstanoch]

This is a big part of why I have my "Today Card". I write three things from my list on it (and only three things) for that day. I then focus in on that card as my "really want to get done" list. I figure, I should be able to get at least three things done and, if I do, I feel like I have accomplished something.

I really like the idea of a "Today Card".  I get myself in trouble by nor starting on things because I have way too much on my list.  For quite a while, I was listing my MITs daily; however, that has dropped off the last few weeks, and I have found that I am n ot nearly as productive as I once was.

[gtdandy]

I have attended quite a few of David Allen's presentations.  At one seminar I heard a woman say to David in an exasperated voice - "I've got so many commitments.  How does GTD help me?"   David's answer was that the power of GTD is that it makes you aware of how many commitments you have, but its up to you to decide which you want to keep.

I work in a high-pressure corporate environment where I wear several hats.  At most times I have about 65 projects on my project list.  And those are just my work projects, they don't include all my personal projects.    Over the years I have developed several strategies for dealing with this issue.   

One strategy I've tried that has worked pretty well is to identify who each commitment is made too.  Some are commitments to my boss, some are commitments to my company, some are commitments to my staff, some are commitments only to myself.   In the "commitments to myself" group are such things as project ideas I've had to improve the way my department operates.

For each commitment I ask questions like: what will happen if I don't deliver on this commitment?   What will happen if I am late on this commitment?   Can I renegotiate this commitment to get a later deadline, less required work, or not do it at all?   

Finally I balance the commitments against each other.  If it is something I don't really have to do but still might want to do, the project and related tasks move to my Someday/Maybe list.   If it something that is important but I don't think it requires any effort yet these also go into my Someday/Maybe list.   

Sometimes if I am still really buried under too many commitments for the current week, I will choose only those things I deem absolutely critical, and move everything else onto the Someday/Maybe list.

The Someday/Maybe list (context) is your best friend.  It is all those things you need or want or hope to do, just not right now.  As long as you diligently perform your weekly review, and re-review this list, you reduce some anxiety about having these out-of-sight.

One final note: For a while I started using the word "commitment" in place of "project".  That worked wonders, because it reminded me that all projects, no matter how small, are a commitment to someone, and by putting them on my list I am committing myself to more effort, which is my most valuable resource.

[esc.lt]

One method I use to tackle my task list is to treat each item as if it were one item alone on a separate list.


Start at the top.
Do that item to the best of your ability/however you require.
Now, after that, do this.
Pause.
Now, do this.
/repeat.

^best represented by this.