What to Do When There Are Too Many Things to Get Done

By Lidiya K on January 31, 2019 - Fact checked by Dumb Little Man

by Lidiya K January 31, 2019

You know that feeling of having way too many things to do. When you don’t feel like starting to work on them any time soon and just the thought of all the tasks, projects, housework, school assignments, or else, is overwhelming you.

Most of us do know how this situation looks like.

And those who don’t are either the most organized people in the world or have some secret strategies for doing a lot of work in no time and not feeling stressed.

Or have just followed some or all of the simple tips I’m offering you here that may put your to-do list in order and make things manageable.

Eliminate some of the tasks

Not everything you think you need to do is actually necessary.

The 80/20 rule plays a huge role here. Understand that only 20% of what you usually do gives you the main result. The other part just doesn’t help you improve your life in any way. So, ditch it.

Figure out which tasks actually help you live better, help others, let you develop good habits, are good for your performance at work or university and focus on them.

Be absolutely objective when you choose the ones that will stay on your list.

Some tasks may just make you feel comfortable as you’ve always been doing them, but there also may be no improvement in any way.

3 MIT’s

One of the greatest and most simple productivity tips is to decide which your 3 most essential tasks are and start working on them first thing in the morning.

Get up early

And even if you don’t start getting things done right after you wake up, you’ll still have a kick start of your day. You’ll have more energy, more time, and you will feel more productive.

Plan your day the night before

This will save you some time and help you decide what to get rid of and what to do first.

Just do it

We often think about what we have to do way too much. Which also means that we worry we won’t have enough time, we fear we may fail to complete all the tasks, and start making excuses as to why we can do it later.

But the only solution is to stop analyzing things and just take a random task and work on it for at least 15 minutes.

That will get you in the flow and will make your mind realize it’s not that hard. It’s the beginning that scares us, not the actual work.

Feel motivated

Boost your motivation by a quick workout, by imagining how great you’ll feel once you’ve completed your work, how proud of yourself you’re going to be.

Even start planning what you’ll do in your free time after that and realize it’s better to start now so that you can finish earlier. Have something to look forward to – going out with friends, a quiet movie night at home, etc.

Have a purpose

You can’t get something done if you don’t really believe in it, if you don’t find it meaningful or think it’s worth it.

So, ditch all the things that you don’t find a purpose in and focus on the rest. It will give you a great energy boost once you know you’re doing something meaningful.

Be in the present

Now is the time to start working on your tasks and to actually do something that will make your future a bit easier or more pleasant.

Try to let go of the past – with the mistakes you’ve done and the times you’ve failed, with all the regrets and bad memories, and the future – with its worries, doubts, you trying to guess what will happen next and whether you’ll be happy about it.

Leave everything else behind and just be in the present moment. It’s where the magic happens. It’s the only place you can be productive and get stuff done.