Spend LESS time in Overwhelm & MORE time in Getting Things Done Teresa Trangmar

WHY DO YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED? Because you are spending time thinking of your problems – too many, too difficult, too overwhelming. I want to encourage the type of thinking that is about DOING instead.

4. Write down the next real physical action you need to take to move on 3. Describe in one sentence your intended successful outcome 2. This may be something you know you have to deal with, eg an event 1.Write down what is most on your mind / distracting you A SIMPLE EXERCISE FOR YOU TO TRY

How does that feel? This piece of thinking has been about DOING something and thinking about the END RESULT. It gives you a feeling of control and focus. It is the mental equivalent of tidying your sock drawer.

Getting things done is about having a clear outcome Then thinking through and doing the next action

BUT BUT …. OK, but how do I maintain that feeling of being in control and ‘Doing’ rather than being Overwhelmed?

HOW TO KEEP YOUR MIND CLEAR 1. In order to keep your mind clear, you need to have a system for all your ideas and projects and actions. 2. A system that your mind will trust and feel confident with. 3. A system that not only captures all those ideas, but also retrieves them as needed.

THE WARDROBE ANALOGY 1. Think of it like a wardrobe – you know yourself that you can tidy away all your bags and shoes and clothes and jewels into a wonderful system. 2. But if it doesn’t work for you then very soon all that stuff is back on the spare bed where you are happy to rummage to find what you want 3. You need to be able to put things away in your wardrobe easily AND to find them easily and get them out again!

Finding a system that works for you

USE A SIMPLE SYSTEM – PAPER OR ELECTRONIC Fixed Calendar Entries Actions Projects Areas to Focus on Goals & Vision Reviews and Reminders

Example – The Passion Planner

Trying out different ideas Get creative with A3 paper and post its, or invest in a whiteboard Custom planners and organisers – try a free download first Evernote – free for one off use Work in ‘chunks’ of time, bunching together similar activities

Clearing your mind and taking action Once you have a system you can trust, and that your mind has confidence in Then you can use the system to capture things rather than using your brain as the system It does take practice and patience but is worth doing

SO WHERE HAVE WE GOT TO? You have seen the importance of developing a simple system to keep your head clear You have seen the benefit of turning a ‘Worry’ into a clear outcome and a next action

Hints and Tips for your System Use your Calendar ONLY for actions that will or must be done that day Have a separate list for intended next actions that you know you will review every day Organise your list by type of activity that can be done together in a chunk of time eg Phone calls At desk Think about Errands by location eg town, local shop, on way to... It is easier to do several of the same things together

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS Teresa Trangmar  Your physical space and your mental space are completely linked and will influence each other  Doing something, anything is hugely creative and unblocking  Keep things simple  Use tools that inspire you whether it is notebooks, pens, gadgets, folders

TAKE A LOOK ON MY BLOG Teresa Trangmar