Rule Your To-Do List — A Proven Method to Regain Balance in Your Life

…and say goodbye to time stress.

I wondered whether my life was a never-ending loop of work and stress as I sat at my desk, looking blankly at my computer screen. But, honestly, I don’t see the purpose.

I wrote an article sometime back on the sanctity of to-do lists. Do they work? Are todo-lists leading, making us do the work, and resulting in outcomes?

Was I simply a little cog in a massive machine, doing my part until I got old and retired or passed out from a heart attack?

Then it struck me like a ton of bricks: I had to relieve time pressure and find equilibrium again. The question is, how? Nothing helped me, whether it was yoga, meditation, or just drinking a lot of wine.

That’s when I came upon a technique that would alter the course of my life forever; it was so basic but so powerful that it seemed miraculous.

Are you excited to learn more? Please continue reading.

Oh, the time-tested approach. It’s unbelievable how much of a difference this will make, but believe me, on this one.

So let’s dissect it into its parts:

Step 1: Prioritizing.

Prioritizing your work is the first order of business. Knowing which activities must be completed immediately and which can wait is essential. For example, reacting to urgent emails may be more important than organizing your sock drawer until the weekend.

So how do you decide which jobs to do first? The Eisenhower Matrix is a valuable method for prioritizing activities according to their significance level and degree of immediacy.

You may use one of the many available online or make your own.

Step 2: Delegating.

The second stage is to provide work to those better suited to it. This involves seeking assistance when you feel you need it.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work, one solution is to enlist the aid of a colleague or assign part of your responsibilities to an assistant.

But what if there’s nobody you can hand off responsibility to? Don’t worry; there are many valuable tools available on the Internet.

Freelance workers for anything from graphic design to data entry may be found on sites like Fiverr and Upwork.

Step 3: Scheduling.

Organizing your work is the third phase. Specifically, you should establish a strategy and commit to it. Then, you may manage your day and week with the help of a planner or calendar app.

So why is it crucial to stick to a schedule? Well, research shows that those who plan their work are more likely to complete it.

In addition, having a strategy helps ease worries and boost efficiency.

So you may ask what the source is for this “proven procedure.” Is this a piece of knowledge handed down through the ages? It’s little more than common sense. Successful people have utilized these three stages as their starting point for effective time management.

Please don’t take my word for it, however.

After using this technique online, you may find many stories of people’s lives finding harmony again.

One blogger even managed to utilize it to write a book in addition to their regular duties. At the same time, others put it into building a thriving company and raising a family.

I tried the proven strategy.

This led me to decide to give the tried and true strategy one more go. It was the ideal time to give it a shot since I had a hectic work week ahead of me.

The Eisenhower Matrix helped me organize my work in order of importance. I felt reasonably good about myself until I discovered I had classified a low-priority assignment as a high-priority one.

You know, the classic mistake of confusing “organize my closet” with “prepare for the big meeting.” Oops.

But that wasn’t a problem since I immediately fixed the problem and went on to Step 2: delegating.

I requested assistance from a colleague, Karen, with a project consuming much of my time. She agreed to help, but I could tell she wasn’t thrilled. Oh well, at least I tried.

The third stage is scheduling. I prepared a detailed strategy for the week and followed it religiously. However, when my supervisor contacted me during a meeting, and I didn’t answer, everything began to go wrong.

I thought the call was critical and put everything on hold to return it, but he was only checking in.

A bit ashamed, I attempted to get back on track, but by Thursday, I had accomplished nothing on my long list of tasks. After calling several colleagues and suggesting a happy hour outing, I did what any other stressed-out person would do: I relaxed.

Let me tell you, making that choice was one of the finest things in my life. During those few hours, we joked around, drank, and forgot about the stress of the office.

I realized that Karen wasn’t horrible; she had an unusually stoic sense of humor.

The following day, I felt rested and eager to go to work. The kicker is that… With the one assignment, Karen helped me with; I completed everything on my to-do list. The plan worked well; my employer even praised me for my efforts.

So, what have I taken away from this?

1. First, the fact is that strategy could be better; even the best-laid plans may backfire. So don’t let it discourage you.
2. Don’t stress out, do all you can to share the load, and have a sense of humor while you’re at it.
3. And if it doesn’t work, there’s always the happy hour.

Please share any other strategies you use for managing time stress and regaining equilibrium.

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