Wilkinson: Spreading yourself too thin

Sunday
Jan 7, 2018 at 1:00 AM

By Berney Wilkinson Ledger correspondent

The start of the new year is often accompanied by renewed vigor, a burst of resolve, and just enough motivation to get ourselves into trouble.

If you ask anyone who works with me, I am the type of person who has a hard time saying “no” to new ideas and projects. Unfortunately, though, this often results in becoming stretched a little too thin. As a result, I could easily become overwhelmed and frustrated when I am unable to complete all the tasks I have taken on.

But, over time, I have learned that there are some easy strategies to help stay on track, reduce my frustration and increase the probability that each project will get done.

The first step is to triage. Prioritize your long list of projects by identifying the most important or most immediate activities and put them at the top of your to-do list. These are usually things that have the shortest deadline or the activities that are prerequisites for other projects.

Step two is to get organized. Some projects have multiple steps and some of those steps will require more time than others. For each project (and you should start with those projects at the top of your triaged list), take time and organize the process you must follow from start to finish. If you are writing a paper, this may include steps such as writing an outline, looking up references for each part of the outline, writing a first draft, and then editing and revising.

Once you are organized, you are ready for step three, making a schedule for the first one or two projects. You should avoid trying to schedule beyond that, as you then increase your risk of becoming overwhelmed. When scheduling your projects, again, it is critical that you develop a realistic time frame for you. How long will it really take you to look up those references? How much time should you dedicate to writing your first draft? Make sure you give yourself enough time to complete the task, but not so much that you don’t feel pressure to meet your deadline.

Step four is to get started. That’s right, get to it! Do not spend more time planning and scheduling. Just get started. Finally, as you cross steps off your schedule, you can start to look further down your triage list of projects and begin the process of planning your next activity. Follow these same steps as you look to schedule the next thing on your list.

The key factor for success throughout this process is to keep your motivation in check. If you are like me, your motivation and drive will kick in and you will want to start everything right now; go, go, go! Unfortunately, such a blast of motivation will leave you burned out. Plus motivation comes and goes. Some days you feel it and some days you don’t. So slow down, follow the steps, and you will be sure to get to everything on your 2018 to-do list.

Dr. Berney, a licensed psychologist with Psychological Associates of Central Florida in Lakeland, is a national speaker and the co-author of "Handbook for Raising an Emotionally Healthy Child." Listen to Dr. Berney's podcast, "The Mental Breakdown,” on iTunes and YouTube. You can submit questions or topics to Dr. Berney by email at drberney@pacflorida.com.

Sunday
Jan 7, 2018 at 1:00 AM

By Berney Wilkinson Ledger correspondent

The start of the new year is often accompanied by renewed vigor, a burst of resolve, and just enough motivation to get ourselves into trouble.

If you ask anyone who works with me, I am the type of person who has a hard time saying “no” to new ideas and projects. Unfortunately, though, this often results in becoming stretched a little too thin. As a result, I could easily become overwhelmed and frustrated when I am unable to complete all the tasks I have taken on.

But, over time, I have learned that there are some easy strategies to help stay on track, reduce my frustration and increase the probability that each project will get done.

The first step is to triage. Prioritize your long list of projects by identifying the most important or most immediate activities and put them at the top of your to-do list. These are usually things that have the shortest deadline or the activities that are prerequisites for other projects.

Step two is to get organized. Some projects have multiple steps and some of those steps will require more time than others. For each project (and you should start with those projects at the top of your triaged list), take time and organize the process you must follow from start to finish. If you are writing a paper, this may include steps such as writing an outline, looking up references for each part of the outline, writing a first draft, and then editing and revising.

Once you are organized, you are ready for step three, making a schedule for the first one or two projects. You should avoid trying to schedule beyond that, as you then increase your risk of becoming overwhelmed. When scheduling your projects, again, it is critical that you develop a realistic time frame for you. How long will it really take you to look up those references? How much time should you dedicate to writing your first draft? Make sure you give yourself enough time to complete the task, but not so much that you don’t feel pressure to meet your deadline.

Step four is to get started. That’s right, get to it! Do not spend more time planning and scheduling. Just get started. Finally, as you cross steps off your schedule, you can start to look further down your triage list of projects and begin the process of planning your next activity. Follow these same steps as you look to schedule the next thing on your list.

The key factor for success throughout this process is to keep your motivation in check. If you are like me, your motivation and drive will kick in and you will want to start everything right now; go, go, go! Unfortunately, such a blast of motivation will leave you burned out. Plus motivation comes and goes. Some days you feel it and some days you don’t. So slow down, follow the steps, and you will be sure to get to everything on your 2018 to-do list.

Dr. Berney, a licensed psychologist with Psychological Associates of Central Florida in Lakeland, is a national speaker and the co-author of "Handbook for Raising an Emotionally Healthy Child." Listen to Dr. Berney's podcast, "The Mental Breakdown,” on iTunes and YouTube. You can submit questions or topics to Dr. Berney by email at drberney@pacflorida.com.

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