What To Do If Your To-Do List Makes You Want to Scream!
In this video, I share my personal strategies for tackling overwhelm when your to-do list feels unmanageable. I discuss the importance of journaling, tracking your time, and allowing flexibility in deadlines to maintain sanity. I also emphasize the need for self-kindness and the power of saying no to tasks that aren't priorities. If you find these tips helpful, please consider subscribing for more insights!
Transcript below!
Resources I mentioned:
Asana
Toggl
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0:00 Hey, welcome back. My name is Ellie and I talk about all things tools, tech, websites, and how to make your business simpler with them.
0:09 Alright, uh, jumping into today, I think we're talking about what to do when your to-do list makes you want to scream.
0:20 transparency, I'm in that boat right now. I have so much on my plate, even with my tools and systems, because I have things I was inside my business that I have less control over.
0:30 But, so I'm talking to you from the trenches and I'm telling you what I'm doing to keep my sanity, to shove some things off my to-do list, and to really stay grounded, centered, and calm as best as I can in this chaotic season.
0:48 The first thing I want to recommend. Is probably the easiest one, and that is doing a little bit of journaling.
0:54 I know it sounds like, oh my gosh, I have no time. I don't have time to journal. Um, a business friend of mine a long time ago recommended, and she did journal coaching for a long time, and she recommended just writing down mind, body, sleep, and a little bit about how you felt about each of those things
1:10 . I also added my word of the year, so I do mind, body, sleep, and this year cultivate, and sometimes I write one word next to each of those things, but it recenters me, and it allows me to check in with myself, and it makes a big difference.
1:23 Underneath that, I usually write my priorities for the day down, so when I feel bogged down by the teeny tiny things, I can always look at that list, and it also helps me to stay on track for the day.
1:34 I do use project management tools, so most, sometimes I'm literally writing down a couple of those priorities from Asana into my notebook, but having it be tactile, um, and something I can literally physically scribble next to, and check off, or half-check, really does something really great for my personal
1:52 brain. All right, so this next one's a big one, and I can already feel that people are really going to hate it, but it's so important as an exercise.
2:01 To do from time to time, it's something I ask my clients to do when they first start working with me, and that is to track your time.
2:07 Um, I think it can be so easy to go, I have no time, I have no time, I'm so busy, everything's chaotic, but not actually know where your time is going.
2:18 So I usually recommend Toggl, T-O-G-G-L, um, it's a free app, you can use it on your desktop or on your phone.
2:27 Um, and then create some projects, um, and categories for what types of things you do when you spend your time, and then log it.
2:35 So I just got done doing it with a client, and she was able to see how much time she's spending on the business versus her family, versus with clients, versus admin, versus marketing, personal life, wellness, and we were able to track all of that so she can go.
2:49 Make tweaks based on real information, and it feels like just another thing to add to your to-do list, but I swear if you can get it in the app and make it really quick, it's really important just to actually know where your time is going.
3:05 Alright, once you know where your time is going, you're able to set some priorities around changing that. Maybe you're going to, you set time blocks, maybe you're going to put, I talk about a lot of these things, time block and do things in batches, or maybe you're going to turn off notifications for
3:23 certain things. Maybe you are going to really prioritize that morning walk. Whatever it is, like, with that data, make sure you're setting up yourself for those goals.
3:37 Alright, so here's a few really little things that I think make a big difference for me personally in this season.
3:44 Um, I allow my deadlines to be flexible. I set my own, I make my own rules in my business. If this YouTube video didn't get made today, it could have been made tomorrow or Friday and it wouldn't have been the end of the world.
3:55 Um, so I have a reel I'm supposed to create today as well. Hopefully I get it done, but if it doesn't, it's not going to be the end of the world, allowing your deadlines to be flexible.
4:05 And also I tend to schedule most of my tasks a few days before I actually need to get them done.
4:11 So there is a little bit of wiggle room. I think it's so easy to get, um, it's so easy for everything to feel super urgent, things that even aren't super urgent.
4:25 And giving yourself that reality check of, like, is this actually going to, like, break my business if this reel doesn't get made today, or this YouTube video doesn't get made today, or this client email doesn't go out right now, uhm, is it going to be that big of a problem?
4:37 And sometimes the answer is yes, and that's where you have to prioritize it. But a lot of times the answer is no.
4:42 So, along those lines, Please be as kind to yourself and your work as you would be to somebody else. It's so easy to be, oh, you're lazy, or you're, uhm, you know, whatever it is, you're telling this negative self-talk, you're so much harder on yourself than you would be to anybody else in your shoes
5:06 . Remember that you're spinning all the plates. Most of the people I'm talking to here are going to be women. And with women, you are holding a lot down the fork in your homes.
5:16 You've got your businesses, many of you have kids, you're probably looking after your parents or other loved ones in some way, shape, or form.
5:22 You are keeping the world held together, your world and all of those around you. So please, please, please give yourself grace.
5:32 Another one is saying no. So, there's been a couple of things that have been tried to be added to my list this week and I've had to say no, I'm at capacity.
5:42 I cannot go and do that thing or add that to my list. I'm sorry. Along those lines, there's some things I've had to drop from my to-do list as this week has gotten busy.
5:55 This morning, Strong Towns had an ask me anything call. And they're really useful for people who are trying to make change in their communities, like I am.
6:04 And I just couldn't go. I just didn't have the bandwidth to do that and to make this video. And to check in on my mom and to make dinner for my family tonight.
6:15 All the things that I've got to do. So I dropped that from my list and I'm sure it won't be the only thing this week that does, that gets cut.
6:23 And that's okay. It wasn't a priority for this week. I also think, as you're going through this and kind of you get closer and more familiar with getting better at saying no to these things, is better at.
6:36 Being kind to yourself, better at all these things I'm talking about. Create some simple criteria for yourself in your head or written down about what types of things are priorities, what types of things get batched, what do you schedule in advance, what types of things can get dropped, or just that
6:53 you flat out have started saying no to when it comes up. Knowing that makes a big, big difference. Having that little framework in your brain going, this isn't, this isn't for me right now, uhm, I did a lot of bundles last year and I just decided this year, like, it's not happening, it's not worth my
7:11 time and energy in this season of my life. And finally, don't forget that you're doing all of this, so you have a few different things happening.
7:22 One, you want to have actual, frickin' CEO time, you want time to be the visionary in your business, the person who's strategic and not just doing all the admin, make, client work, making sure things actually chug along.
7:36 You also need to be able to step back and have the time to step back. You're also wanting to do this stuff so you have a life, so you can take some time for self-care, for going to your kids' sports, You need to that your business isn't running your life, that you're running your life around your business
7:55 . It's supporting your life and whatever your goals for that life are. Uhm, alright, I'll get off my soapbox now. This is stuff I talk about all the time.
8:06 I have loads of videos on, like, the nitty-picky pieces of this if you're looking for specific advice. It's around simplifying your content processes or your client onboarding processes, email marketing, websites, anything.
8:19 I have loads and loads of videos and podcasts about this stuff. If you want to get into the details, if you have a specific question, feel free to pop it in the comments, uhm, or send me a DM.
8:29 I'm always happy to geek out about this stuff. Alright? And if you found this video useful, if you could subscribe.
8:36 And if you found this useful, please subscribe, like, comment, share, all those things. It makes a big, big difference for small creators like me.
8:48 Thank you. Have a good day.
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