You can’t do it all.
Well, not all at once anyway.
Start with one thing.
Get it to done.
Then move onto the next one thing.
Focus.
Finish.
Go again.
“Until my One thing is done, everything else is a distraction.” – Gary W. Keller
“There’s no such thing as multitasking.” – Jim Loehr
It’s important, but not urgent.
Could do something about that, but didn’t.
It remains important, yet the urgency is not pressing.
Should schedule some time to progress it, but left it.
It is still important with a growing urgency.
Need to get moving on it, but don’t.
It has always been important.
And now it’s urgent.
There’s nowhere left to go.
Time is up.
“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important” – Stephen R Covey
Redirect energy to where it is needed.
Refocus on outcomes that matter.
Reprioritise the priorities.
Not every now and then.
As frequently as needed.
Perhaps more often than has been.
As often as is required to be effective.
Same energy.
Different outcome.
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates
“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” – Benjamin Franklin
There are choices to be made when packing.
It is likely you will not be able to fit it all in.
Consider what to leave out.
There are choices to be made when restocking your fridge or pantry.
There are numerous items that could be selected to replenish both.
Be deliberate about what to leave out.
There are choices to be made on how you fill your day.
The world, your world, is busy and there are always things to be done.
Be intentional on what to leave out.
What possibilities will you pack into your life?
Consider, be deliberate and be intentional.
Particularly on what to leave out.
“Start a ‘Stop Doing’ list. I’ll leave it as an existential dilemma on whether to put that task on your To Do list.” – Jim Collins
“The real art is knowing what to leave out, not what to put in.” – Steve Jobs
“Knowing what to leave out is just as important as knowing what to focus on.” – Warren Buffett
So, it’s a little out of control.
What do you need to do about it?
If it is outside your control, then there is nothing to be done about it.
If it’s okay being out of control for the moment, then maybe nothing needs to be done right now.
If it is something that absolutely needs to be in control, go get after it.
We don’t and can’t control everything.
Pick your target(s).
What do you need to have under control?
By tomorrow?
This time next week?
Next year?
Go get after it.
“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” – Epictetus
Have you been putting it off?
What has been stopping you?
If it is urgent, you will find a way.
If it is important, you will make time.
If it is neither, then you don’t need to do it.
“I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time one what is important.” – Stephen R. Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”
If it does not resonate.
If you cannot absolutely commit.
If it’s a maybe.
If you’re not interested.
If your gut is telling you it doesn’t feel right.
If you’re doing it for the wrong reasons.
If you are not able to give it the time it deserves.
Don’t do it.
“If you’re not saying ‘Hell Yeah’ about something, say ‘No’.” – Derek Sivers
“Say no to many good things so you can say yes to a few great things.” – Greg McKeown, Author of “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less”