How To Get Things Done

As our lives move forward, more often than not, we find ourselves with a greater list of things to do. That list grows and at times can seem never-ending. Someone approached me recently and asked how to get things done when there is so much to do?

I’m a prime example of someone with an ever-growing list and it can get frustrating trying to stay on top of everything.

As you already know, life is not just about getting things done, however the last thing you need is the list of things distracting you while you’re trying to unwind, relax, be in the moment, be mindful and enjoy yourself.

So the question is how can we be more efficient to get things done, in the time frames or deadlines we set ourselves so that we feel that sense of completion?

Firstly, it’s important to know that every single one of us is busy with responsibilities, and so that is not a valid excuse. Responsibilities are a part of life. They cannot be escaped so what we can do is organise, prioritize, and act. (OPA)

I wanted to give you a quick example of things that I have to do generally on a week to week basis so you get a sense, that this article is coming to you from someone who really has very little time spare, and almost all time is taken up working on some project or another.

1. My full-time job which I need to commute for, is long hours, and stressful.
2. Managing this blog, writing articles, maintaining it, updating it, fixing things and upgrading it.
3. Managing my Facebook page with over 40,000 members and around 200 weekly comments to reply to.
4. Coaching individuals.
5. My other part-time Job as a Broadcast Journalist on the weekends.
6. Taking care of myself, cooking, cleaning, exercising, playing badminton competitively and taking time out for myself
7. I’m currently launching my new app and business.

That list is just me skirting the surface and so you can see, I’m giving you this information as part of my strategy I use on how to get things done with an incredibly hectic schedule.

In fact as I sit here writing this, I’m looking at my list of things and realising that there are still things I’ve not added which I also have to do, so I’m going to add them to my list, so that I can take them out of my mind, and deal with them effectively later.

Let’s begin taking a step by step approach so that you can begin to get all the things you need to do in your life done. This is for the moments when you want to set your mind free, you are able to do so easily, without it become distracted and bogged down.

How to get things done

1. Relax.

A cliché, but the world will not come to a grinding halt if you happen to be behind on your chores, or if you don’t get things. Sure, it’s all important, but it’s equally important not to get overly stressed about them, or let them command your emotional state of mind. Find some kind of self talk that works for you that allows you to put things into perspective and take away the thought of ‘over importance’ of your tasks.

2. Organise

Wonderful leaders sometimes have fantastic organisational skills and systems which they use to stay on top of their tasks. However, you don’t need something fancy or technical. For starters, a simple list will do. Even just by starting off with a list, your mind will immediately become more relaxed. You will feel a huge weight lifted off your shoulders just by doing this one step.

3. Prioritize

Now that you have your simple list you can have a very clear look at what’s most important, what’s only a little bit important, what things do not need your immediate attention. Once you have established this, you will start to feel even more free because your mind will be clear.

4. Taking Action

This part is the most difficult of all. Now you know what are the most important things you must undertake, it’s doing them! This is where nothing will really help except you giving yourself the talking to, to make sure you are then taking this step. It helps to have a big reason behind the big things you need to get done. A quick example for me is exercising, I do my exercise for my overall health, keeping my back strong, partly because I want to stay strong, I don’t want to be in the position where I have back problems later in life that stop me from enjoying life. But the biggest factor by far is pleasure! I love badminton and exercise and all these powerful reasons help me get things down and plough through my list.

I’ve kept this all relatively simple. If you wondering how to get things done, always keep it simple. Begin with a simple list and start working through that list. The very act of doing this will free you mind. You will find that you are able to focus and channel your energy easily in the individual tasks. Remember to think OPA

This article, the first draft took me less than 30 minutes to write, and then an additional 15-30 minutes of editing and that was one very big thing ticked off my list. Simples!

What other secrets have helped you get things done? I would love to hear your tips so others can benefit too. Feel free to share them in the comments below.