A solution to the stress of having a huge to-do list and getting stuck

Easy way to be stress free without doing GTD

GTDTo be honest, it cannot be said to be an easy method because it requires a lot of time in the preparation stage.
There is no doubt that it is a good thing, but first I will introduce a way to deal with a large to-do list without stress without introducing GTD.

If you follow the simple steps below and change the way you think about your to-do list, you should be able to significantly reduce your stress and enjoy heading towards it.

First, extract the most important deadline tasks.That’s all there is to do.

First, from a large to-do list,Deadline tasks that must be doneSet colors and labels to indicate date and importance.

say hereA deadline that must be met refers to something that, if not met, will seriously impede your life or business.
It varies from person to person, but for example, something like this might apply.

• License renewal
• Cases where large penalties will be incurred if delivery is delayed
• Payments essential to business continuity, such as rent and employee salaries

In reality, there aren’t that many important tasks that have fixed deadlines.
Depending on the situation, none may appear.
The important thing here is that, with a few exceptions,The most important task is to realize that there is actually less.There are actually very few things to do.There are actually not that many things that you absolutely have to do with a set deadline.

Once you are able to extract them, put your maximum effort into finishing them smoothly.
This is all you need to do.
To put it in an extreme way, finish organizing here,Feel free to throw away the rest of your to-do list.

I have a deadline, but I don’t include tasks that I would like to do if possible in my to-do list.

Although there are deadlines, there are bound to be tasks and projects that are less important than the previous item.

• Studying for exam dates for qualifications that may be useful in the future
• Building your body for the marathon
• Plans for a trip you’re looking forward to

These “tasks that I would like to do or should do if possible” cannot be included in “things to do”.
There is a deadline, so it is better to do it, butThings that do not cause serious problems to your business or life even if you do not do them are clearly distinguished from “things that should be done.”

People who have large to-do lists that don’t work well tend to have a lot of tasks with low importance and deadlines.
If you combine these things with things that are really important, the tasks that absolutely need to be done will become blurry, and you will end up not doing anything at all, or you will end up doing something, but the results will be unsatisfactory.

Treat all other to-dos as “options/things you can do” rather than “things you should do”

We differentiated between the most important deadline-bound tasks, “things to do,” and everything else.
So what about the remaining tasks?

As mentioned above, even if it’s an extreme case, you can throw it away.Anything that isn’t really something you should do is something you don’t have to do.
If it’s a list that causes stress and holds you back, it’s better not to have it.

Of course, if you really throw it away, you will only be able to maintain your business and lifestyle at the bare minimum and will not be able to aim for a higher stage.
Think of the rest of your to-do list after excluding the “things you need to do” as “options/things you can do” rather than “things you should do.”

Most tasks can be done or not done.As long as you can continue your basic lifestyle and business, anything else is fine.
Doing so will help you enjoy your personal life and develop your business.

From here, you can follow general task management techniques and categorize them by importance, area, or subdivision, or you can work on them however your heart desires.
Having a large number of things to do can weigh you down, but a large to-do list is actually a choice.It’s like a memo that you don’t have to look at when you want to check your options for developing your personal life or business.If it’s an option that doesn’t matter whether you look at it or not,Even if you have a lot of them, they won’t weigh you down.You can freely choose to do it or not.When you look at it that way, it instantly stops feeling stressful.

It may be a drastic way to separate things, but clearly separating “things that should be done” and “things that don’t need to be done” is the first step in dealing with a huge to-do list.

A huge list of “options/things you can do” is like a map of a large, fun theme park.

Big theme parks like Disneyland and Universal Studios are full of fun attractions, so it’s difficult to visit them all in one day, and of course there’s no rule that says you have to visit them all.From the large number of attractions shown on the map, you can feel excited and head to the one that interests you, depending on the situation that day.There should be no stress and there should be fun.You will never be stuck at the entrance gate.

You can think of your to-do list as a map of a large theme park.Everyone enjoys it in different ways.A huge map of your ultimate theme park, packed with fun attractions, and ready to keep your to-do list growing and having fun!

Please consider introducing a full-fledged GTD and using a task management partner.

What did you think?
In short, this isGTDThis is a very simple version of “processing” and “organizing”.

Once you have taken the first step in dealing with a large number of tasks using these methods and things are progressing well, why not start learning and implementing GTD in earnest?I’m sure you’ll find it fun to add more and more tasks to your list.

Of course, if you feel that the hurdles to implementation are still high or you are not confident in continuing on your own, please consider using the services of a “task management partner”.
Let’s enjoy together the fun and joy of getting things done without stress!