Too many projects, so little time aaargh!!!!!

I actually make it a habit to bite off more than I can chew, and then I have the audacity to look surprised when it all backfires on me. Take my advice, (I don't use much of it anyway) focus on no more than three tasks in a week to make sure you get the job done right. Then alternate weeks. Prioritize. Do the stuff that you can get over and done with right away, and the tasks that are time-sensitive. Break bigger tasks up into small little bites.

The INTJness in me keeps me procrastinating implementing such a system in my daily life, but maybe you've got a smidgen more of will power than I do.

 

No problems, friend.

Now to get to my to-do list.

 

Oh man, I bounce around like crazy. I can barely even stick with a career. Every now and then though a project will come along that will engage me the entire way through. Those are so satisfying, when you finish and know you've put your all into it, and done it well, from beginning to end.

I've also found other, more open ended projects, that I kind of cycle through. I'll get very involved with it for a while, then drop it for something else, then drop that for yet something else again, and then weeks/months/years later, get back into the original project. And then drop it again for one of the other ones. Etc. An interesting pattern.

 

Interesting pattern indeed. You've just described me to a 'T.' Of course, such a cycling pattern of projects doesn't bode well for a storyteller such as myself. My poor writing projects. They've all developed a fear of abandonment, and sometimes take to clinging onto me all at once. I never know which to pursue, and feel completely guilty about only having so much time, one brain and only two sets of type-dancing fingers to work on one at a time.

 

Well, one thing I've started to do is not look at it as a bad thing, necessarily, but accept it as part of my process, it's just the way I do things. I think of it as putting it on the back burner to simmer for a while.

I do this with other, non "extended project" things as well. Say I'm presented with a problem, and asked to come up with a solution. (One that isn't needed immediately.) Often, if I can't come up with a solution in a reasonably short amount of time, I'll consciously think: "Time to put it on the back burner," and sort of shove it to the back of my mind to let my subconscious work on it.

Sometimes the answer will just pop back into my consciousness randomly and of it's own accord, after some time has passed. Other times, I consciously revisit the problem, but I'll have all new ideas at my disposal about how to solve it, and can often get past whatever was blocking me from a solution in the first place.

So I approach the extended projects in a similar way, and just go with the flow - when I feel like it's time to give something up, I give it up, and trust that I'll kNow when it's time to work on it again.

 

I wish I could calmly accept such a philosophy of patience, but the perfectionist/impulsive three year old in me demands structure, placement, timing, and things that need to be done the way I want it, right now, immediately. So I get frustrated when the 'flow' is not right, which leads to another one of my downfalls--procrastination.

Oh, procrastination, how I loathe thee. It's my own fault, I know. I throw open the door and invite thee right in whenever I take on too many projects. But I cannot help it!

No more projects until I finally finish what I've already started!

 

Oh time management... my favorite topic of interest for the past 5 years Thought about starting a thread of my own here to share experiences.

Things that I have learned:

• Forget about priorities - they only ensure that some things never get done. If you had the ability to do everything you set out for - would it really matter in which order you do it?
• Forget about self-scheduling - it will kill your sanity.
• Forget about to-do lists. They are an ever-growing painful reminder of things that you should do, but does not give a clue on how to do it.

Things that I found useful:

• Make a list of tasks that you must complete today. Be realistical about it, because the whole system depends on if you manage to clear that list. Even if one item is left undone at the end of the day - it will become an irritation. Priorities are not important because everything must be done! Anything new that comes up during the day - schedule it for tomorrow's list.
• Use time burst technique - it helps to gain focus. Pick a topic you want to give your attention to and start working on it immediately. Stop after exactly five minutes. You will be amazed on how much you have done during this time and the motivation you gained to continue. You can work on 5 different subjects during 25 minute period using this way and stay highly focused.

So far the best material I found on the topic is by Mark Forster. The above advice was taken from his books (there are lot's more) and it really worked for me. He also offers a free time management system called "autofocus" - you can get it here.

You can watch the video explaining it. Do you get that INFJ-ish tingling sensation when he explains things about being intuitive and getting your feelings into time management?

[YOUTUBE]qF1ngJAyD_s[/YOUTUBE]

 

me too!!!!!! i have so much things to do... like super a lot
a lot of projects and quizzes. long tests, quarterly exams and all
i study around 5-7 hours a day... so in a week..i study about 35-49 hours

those include
projects,
things to study,
things to do,
homework,
study dancing,
memorize my steps,
choreograph steps,
mix songs,
do my advance math
and... i don't know what else


it does become stressful and depressing because of the idea that I HAVE TO DO THIS AND I HAVE TO DO IT NOW!!!!!

sometimes, i don't get things done like projects... so what i do is.. i wake up 1-2 hours earlier in the morning before i go to school... then i do it.. or if i didn't finish a lesson because of lack of time, then i also wake up earlier then i study it....

it's just PURE EXTRA EFFORT for me

 

i'm gonna try this!!! yehey!!!!!!!! thanks for posting that!!!

but.. what's the difference with the " forget the to do lis"t with the "make a list of tasks"(aren't those things that you need to do too?)... isn't it the same? or there's a difference?

 

the difference is that a todo list is infinite and demotivating because you constantly add things to the end of it. It's called an open list.

A list of tasks for a day (or a page of tasks in autofocus) is of different kind - it's a closed list. You don't add extra things to it after compiling - so it's motivating and very finite.

 

ohhhhhhh

ahahha sorry i'm a low pick up person