In a paper published in 1994 titled, “How to break down tasks so they don’t break you”, the first classic time waster they refer to is the telephone. “How often does that machine interrupt our daily thought processes?” it questions.
I wonder what they would say now with the multiple distractions we are presented with each minute on our mobile phones. The advice of “…don’t answer the telephone” just wouldn’t cut it in today’s incredibly overwhelming world. So what will?
Overwhelm is the inability to prioritize what needs to be done. You may know this feeling well. If you haven’t had enough sleep, your amygdala is often the first part of your brain to feel the impact.
You cannot prioritize when you otherwise might have been able to. Example, the doorbell rings and the oven needs to be switched off and the baby needs help all at the same time. But what comes first? Hello overwhelmed.
There is only one way to make a change here. And that is to do one thing at a time. You may not love this answer. You may not even like this answer. But it is the only way through the mess of multitasking. Know what your outcome goal is. Know how to break up your goal into mini goals and then tackle one at a time. And you will always know your priority.
The single most helpful tool I use to help me with this in the Venture Panda Planner. No kickbacks for saying that – it just is what I find to be most useful. One thing at a time. That’s your answer to coping.
