With all the multitasking parents are supposed to do between work, children and errands, it isn't surprising that things keep getting delayed and are rarely, if ever, done according to schedule.
Certain kinds of stress cannot be avoided. For example, you may have a huge presentation to make, and you cannot avoid the stress that comes with fear of how you will perform. However, the stress associated with having a lot of work piled up and not know where to begin, or completing things at the last minute and then forgetting something, are the most common kinds of stress, and we are faced with it so very often, although this is something which certainly can be avoided.
If you find yourself constantly stressing as you battle to complete errands, avoid late fee payments, file tax returns on time, attend your yoga classes and replenish groceries as soon as they run out, you need to plan your organisation better. Here's help.
You may have something which you need to get done, and which has been pending for a long time but you just keep pushing thoughts of it away everytime they loom in front of you. As experience may have taught you by now, ignoring a problem will not make it go away. The best thing you can do is tackle it hands on.
First, figure out what it is you need to do. Perhaps you need to get your daughter's passport made, but have been pushing it to the back of your list since the trip was almost six months away. And now, four months have passed while you haven't lifted a finger. You know that there will be a last minute rush and a possibility that the passport may not be ready in such a short notice. But you still cannot get yourself to doing anything other than stressing about it everytime the thought of the upcoming vacation crosses your head.
Step-by-step
Instead of giving your daughter's passport a passing thought every now and again and stressing about it, take a notepad and write it down as a project heading. Then, identify what needs to be done about getting the passport, and break it down into steps. What can be done today? Perhaps you could first get your daughters photographs organized. Write this down in your 'immediate' to-do list.
In this manner, make a note of every single thing that needs to be done, in steps. As soon as you do this, the task suddenly will seems less overwhelming and easier.
Write it down
When you have too many things to do and strain to remember to do them all, you are sure to forgot to complete at least one of the tasks. So, make it a point to write down whatever you need to do.
Divide your notebook into three sections. One is for things that need to be done immediately, the other is for things that need to be followed up or certain action needs to be take before they are done, and finally, things that need to be completed in the long term.
Action
All too often we spend all our time and energy organizing things, but fail to follow up our words with actions. Make sure you act on your list. Keep reviewing it every single day, and chalk out your plans for the day as soon as you wake up.
