You Can't Do Everything (Here's What You Can Do)

Hi read,

I just got back from vacation and, as usual, the Friday before my time off was crazyyy. I was finishing a set of slides for an executive team meeting AND prepping for my daughter's birthday AND trying to pack for the trip.

I had way too many things on my to-do list and really had to make sure I was only doing the most important things. The trip was awesome, and I never would have gotten there without my 3 step prioritization process.

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(This picture is from the final day of our trip - a rainy day in the Tetons.)

It can be very stressful when you feel like you have too much to do. So many people (including me!) get anxious and end up doing nothing rather than tackling a few important items.

That's why I have used the following steps for YEARS to manage long to-do lists and use my time in the best way. This process reduces your stress and ensures that you are doing the highest value activities.

No matter what you have to do, you can follow these steps to decide where to focus your time each day:

1) What absolutely must be done today?

Example: If I'm going on a trip tomorrow, I have to finish packing today. It would be nice if I could also vacuum before I leave so I come home to a clean house, but it's not 100% necessary.

2) What needs to be done by me?

Example: An executive asked me for some data by end of day. I am also presenting my team's vision and roadmap tomorrow morning. I prioritize the vision and roadmap. I can ask a team member to pull the data requested.

3) What aligns with my values?

Example: Someone scheduled a last minute meeting with me about a low-priority topic at the same time as my kid's back to school night. I choose back to school night.

On the other hand, I have an important meeting with my boss at the same time as my kid's regular taekwondo class that I usually take her to. I ask someone else to take taekwondo so I can attend the meeting.

That's it! These steps are simple but I follow them every time I feel overwhelmed.

One side note: I don't think you should be feeling overwhelmed every day. This is for crisis mode. To keep most of your days even keel, I recommend planning, blocking time for important tasks, and making sure you have plenty of time to complete larger chunks of work.

Have a great week!

Beth @ Parent Lightly

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