I may have shared before that my word of the year is still.

Still means a lot of different things to me but the meaning I’m going to share today is how I find calm in the chaos. Stillness for my brain really. And how I GSD (get stuff done!)

It’s a very simple method that I call now – next – later.

I’m a reallllly good list maker. Too good actually. But never-ending lists are overwhelming if they aren’t prioritized and then I’ll just stare at the list with anxiety building wondering where to start and maybe not accomplish anything (or accomplish the wrong things!)

So I started a simple practice of organizing my list into three categories. This practice requires me to think about what’s really important and what can wait.

Things that I need to do NOW

Things that I need to do NEXT

Things that I can do LATER

I have a list like this everyday and sometimes the list has to be remade if something pops up that needs to bump something into a different category.

The other really important thing to know is sometimes when I’m making these lists or remaking these lists, things fall off because:

1. It’s not MY task 

2. It’s really not that important 

So how do I accomplish things in the “need to do NOW” category? I schedule it in. Every item in that category has a spot on my calendar. And when it is that time, I do that thing. This practice if you want to research it more is called time boxing. What if there are too many things in the “need to do NOW” category and they don’t fit on your calendar? Then you need to be realistic with your commitments and recognize that you are at capacity and ask again, is this really a priority NOW? If so, ask for more time, help or delegate the task (I’m not the best at this!)

I also have another practice that I learned about very recently, it’s called the three-minute rule. If it takes less than three minutes, don’t put it on a list just do it. I originally heard this from Daniel Pink and it prevents mental clutter by immediately completing tasks that can build up and become overwhelming. This is a practice that I am still trying to get better at because I continue to find these little things on my list.

I know there are more sophisticated tools out there for managing work, and I have access to many of these at work but sometimes I think those systems can actually be more harmful if your brain is already on overload. Sometimes simple is more manageable and if it works for you – awesome.

We all have our ways of working and as long as you find something that makes you comfortable, confident, productive, creative and CALM – then you do you boo!!

I’d love to hear what helps you manage your work, household, responsibilities, etc.

***I’ve had this sign on my desk for over 10 years now and I still need to remind myself of this often!!!***

“Find the ability to give all you have and then forgive yourself for the places you couldn’t reach.”

-Umber Ahmad Founder and Head Chef at Mah-Ze-Dahr