When it comes to getting work done, it is especially important for introverts to be able to have time to think about the things that need to get done. As I think, I also come up with new ideas, which end up creating far more projects than I could ever accomplish. I was feeling particularly overwhelmed today with too many things to do and not enough time to think through anything. I had to take a moment and process my “stuff” as David Allen calls it in Getting Things Done.
I used the process outlined in Allen’s book for organizing work load. For each item on my to-do list, I needed to look at it and decide if it was actionable. If no, then do one of the following: either trash it, add it to a someday/maybe list, or store it as reference material.
If it is actionable, then I need to decide if I should do it now. Allen has a rule that if if can be done in two minutes or less, then do it now. Or you can delegate it and put it on a waiting for list for later follow up. Or you can defer it and add it to a calendar with a next action for it.
There was a point today where I was feeling paralyzed by the number of things I needed to do. This can be a dangerous place to be in getting nothing done. So instead of being overwhelmed, I stepped back and got my stuff organized.
