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Feeling Overwhelmed by Your To-Do List? Set Your Intentions First

The mental trick that will skyrocket your productivity

By Jana Van der VeerPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

I woke up late today, with a bad head/neck ache from sleeping wrong, or possibly stress. Dragged myself out of bed, grabbed a cup of coffee, and began writing in my journal.

I start with a list of "3 Things I Am Grateful for Today." First item on my gratitude list: Coffee. I felt that without the promise of the hot bitter brew, I might not have gotten out of bed at all. (I made a cappuccino, actually, with frothy milk and a dash of cinnamon. I needed a treat.)

Then I turned to my Intentions for the day. I put down one thing I thought I could do (drink 8 glasses of water) and one thing that seemed far-fetched given my current achiness and energy level but that I was determined to do (exercise). For my other Intentions, I looked at my To-Do list: 14 items all screaming for my urgent attention. I picked three, and did one immediately, even before hopping in the shower (email a connection who might set me up with some work).

Once I had done that one tiny thing, I was on a roll. Starting with something, no matter its overall level of priority, made it easier to tackle the rest of my list.

Why is setting Intentions important? Why not just have a To Do List?

Like most people, I have a list of Stuff That Needs to Get Done. I even try to prioritize it on a daily basis, usually the night before. I blurt it all down, just to make sure I have everything.

However, that can lead to paralysis. It's... just... so.... damn... long. Everything is an emergency. I'm tired before I begin.

By prioritizing the must-dos and framing my overall Intentions for the day, I can clarify why I'm doing all this Stuff.

  • I intend to drink at least 8 glasses of water... so I can stay hydrated, maintain my energy, and stay out of the hospital for kidney issues.
  • I intend to work on my novel... so I can finish this chapter and send it to my beta readers.
  • I intend to contact at a potential freelance employer... so I can earn money and pay my bills this month.
  • I intend to edit the video lesson I created so I can add it to the course.
  • I intend to work out for at least 30 minutes... so I can have more energy and feel strong and healthy.

See how it works? You don't just list a bunch of stuff. You are, in a word, intentional about it. Your intentions focus on the end goal: what you want to achieve, or how you want to feel.

Your mind is now focused on what you intend to accomplish. This is making more of a commitment than just putting it on a list. You connect with your Why, which is one of the most powerful things you can do to actually achieve your goals.

This procedure is all the more important to me since I’ve started working for myself. When I worked for an employer, the priorities were clear, and someone else was checking to make sure I did them. Now, as I transition to full-time self-employment, I have to determine my own priorities and create my own schedule. It’s exhilarating but also challenging, especially on days like today when I don’t really feel like doing anything, and even the smallest task feels like rolling a boulder uphill.

Writing my Intentions down daily — and framing them as “Intentions” and not just “stuff to do” — helps me focus on the things that matter, and helps me take that all-important first step.

We often hear the advice “break things down into smaller steps” when something is overwhelming, and that can be helpful with larger projects. But sometimes all those small steps start to look like a stairway to the clouds. It becomes even more overwhelming to think about everything you have to do, and how far you have to go, to reach your goal.

The important thing is to start with just one thing. Anything counts. Simply checking one thing off the list can break the logjam of paralysis. “If I did that, then I can do this. And now this…”

And today? So far I’ve drunk half my allotted water, worked on the video for my course, written an article, and emailed the work prospect. Time to go work out (and keep drinking water!).

goals
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About the Creator

Jana Van der Veer

Book and mindset coach for writers. Book lover, chocoholic. Go to www.setyourmuseonfire.com to grab your copy of 10 Questions to Ask to Get Unstuck at Any Stage of the Writing Process!

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