deepstash
Beta
Paralyzed by Perfectionism? Try Rethinking Your To-Do List
Focus on process goals
... rather than outcome goals.
We often become so focused on the end result of a project that we don’t appreciate and enjoy (or ever really get started on) the process.
The satisfaction of small wins keeps us intrinsically motivated.
371 SAVES
This is a professional note extracted from an online article.
Read more efficiently
Save what inspires you
Remember anything
IDEA EXTRACTED FROM:
6
Key Ideas
Perfectionism and to-do lists
To-do lists can help perfectionists move past our paralysis. They may find making a list to be a reassuring guide to their day.
But there's also a risk: to-do lists can backfire if they become yet another report card we perfectionists use to evaluate ourselves too harshly.
Break down projects
... into manageable tasks.
This way, you're armed with a set of concrete actions to take rather a vague cloud of high expectations.
Define the next action
... rather than all subsequent steps.
Focusing only on the next action gives you permission to work on something even if you don’t have it all figured out—which is crucial to completing tasks that in the past have left you paralyzed.
Set priorities
... by designating A, B, C, and F Tasks.
- A tasks: These are what you’ll give most of your time and energy to. Work on these during the time of day when you have the most energy and focus.
- B tasks: Leave these tasks for lower energy times of day or batch them together on a particular day later in the week.
- C tasks: These are tasks that you’ll want to give the least of your energy to.
- F tasks: Try to delegate or automate these tasks as much as possible.
Set a realistic schedule
Assign your tasks a time limit to force yourself to not get lost in perfecting each and every detail.
Often, perfectionists bite off more than we can chew — one consequence of not prioritizing.
SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
10
Key Ideas
Have one daily priority
Many of us start our mornings with dozens of things we need to get done, but later realize that we haven't crossed any of them off our lists. We did get stuff done, but none of the things we pl...
Make planning a habit
Some mornings we feel motivated to create a to-do list, but that is often the exception. We need to get things done, even when we feel disengaged.
Start by setting the alarm for your daily planning session at the same time every day. Tack your new daily planning session onto an existing habit like drinking your morning coffee.
Align your to-do list with goals
- Break down your big goals into daily tasks. You can't add "Get in shape" to your daily to-do list, but you can add "spend 30 minutes on my bike."
- Consider your week as a whole. You likely have multiple goals. Some goals benefit from daily activity, while working towards others a few times a week can create momentum.
- Add your have-to-do tasks last. We often fill our to-do lists with have-to-do tasks that crowd the whole day. Adding it last forces you to fit your have-to-do tasks around your goal tasks.
7 more ideas
2
Key Ideas
Steps for Better Time Management
- Add as much as you can into the system. You can email yourself things to do, or put them in your calendar, or take quick notes, or take a picture.
- Process it all as fast as y...
Organizing Less And Doing More
It’s easy to spend time organizing a to-do list and forget to do the things in the list to avoid that:
- Pick an app that will automatically sync information on multiple platforms so you have flexibility without the work it would take to update manually.
- Use an app ecosystem that allows easy integration of calendars, to do lists and email for maximum efficiency.
9
Key Ideas
Clean up your workspaces
End the workday by taking a minute to tidy your desk, save everything you’re working on, and close of all your tabs and windows. Make sure your work app notifications are automatically snoozed outs...
Review your "to-done’s"
Boost your mood and motivation by taking the time to review your completed tasks at the end of each day.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to stay motivated and build momentum at work is to celebrate your progress.
The procrastination “doom loop”
Confront the things you’ve been putting off. If you keep putting things off, you'll feel guilty and that makes you want to avoid them even more. You will get stuck in the “doom loop” of anxiety and avoidance.
Break this loop by identifying the tasks that you’ve been avoiding, break them down into smaller tasks and schedule the next step for the following day.
6 more ideas