I don't know where to start

I’ve been there. I’ve had a great idea about redesigning my website, reorganizing my kitchen pantry, or developing a new menu planning system. I know how important it is to have a structured system, but all of the ideas in my head are flying around like bees collecting pollen.

What about you?

Do you feel like you just can’t figure out where to start? Do you begin to feel overwhelmed, and talk yourself out of even starting, because it seems like an unmanageable project? Do you decide to peruse social media instead, with no goal in mind, and an hour later, your eyes have glazed over? You are NOT alone.

If you’ve ever experienced this, (or know someone who has), here are 3 specific tasks to help you get started.

1) Write down everything you need for the project, including what you:

·      Need to eliminate

·      Need to organize

·      Need to purchase

·      Need to decide

·      Need to do

This alone may feel overwhelming, and I get that. Trust me, when you put things on a list, it frees your brain to focus on higher level activities. If you have this mental clutter, it can be the hurdle to getting anything done. Write it down (Yes, I mean on paper with pen/pencil) Click here to read why.

2) Prioritize each list.

Is there anything that must be done before anything else? Is there anything that’s nice to have instead of needing to have? Start with the need to eliminate list. Organizing clutter is like herding cats. It’s never a good idea. Joanie Nicholas owner of All Things Organized lives by this philosophy and urges her customers to get rid of the clutter first!

·      When creating your list, mark each item with an A, B or C.

·      Next, prioritize all of the A’s, then B’s, then C’s. As you’re doing this, you may realize that something you marked as a C, really needs to be a high A, and that is very normal. Just change it. Creating this list will help give you clarity on all of the individual tasks.

·      Remember you don’t need to do everything yourself! Delegating the tasks you’re not great at will free you up to focus on your strengths.

3) Schedule your tasks.

·      Be realistic about the time available for the task. Life will continue to go on as you’re working on your project. My rule of thumb is to only schedule 2/3 of my day, because I know to expect the unexpected. I’m less stressed and more productive when I practice this.

·      To improve productivity, schedule time for breaks, by using a timer, or use one of the many available apps.

·      Set clear time boundaries with yourself, co-workers and family.

As you’re writing out steps 1, 2 and 3, your brain is getting a hit of dopamine – it’s like the mental pat on the back you need to keep going. And don’t you love crossing things off your list? Your brain does too and gets another hit of dopamine!

I encourage you to write on paper, and not type on your computer for this. Our brain reacts very differently to handwriting than typing. Want to read more about handwriting? Check this out. Want to read why? Here’s a great article.

 Write. Prioritize. Schedule. If you’re new to this, don’t get overwhelmed the 1st time. It’s just as important to make a list of things to eliminate – you know, the things you’ve had on your to-do list forever, but you know they’re not going to be completed soon!

Looking for a tool to help? Check out the simplicity of the monaplanner© here. It’s designed to be easy to implement and simple to use.