What’s the Cost of Living So Far from “Just Right” with Too Many Different Tasks, Projects, and Commitments?

In the previous article in this series, you were able to think about what your "just right number" is as far as the number of different projects, tasks, and commitments. In this article, we're taking a good look at the costs of dispersing your focus and attention across too many different tasks, projects, and commitments.

You know (better than anyone) what it is costing you to have too many different tasks, projects, responsibilities, and commitments. In addition to whatever you write down as you're considering the costs, here are others to include:

• Switching from one task to another costs you at least 40% to 50% efficiency (depending on what you are working on). Can you afford to lose that much time on each of your tasks and projects? I doubt it. Staying on one task for a while actually allows you to get more done in less time (vs. when you are switching from one to another and then back again or on to another one). 

Note: Be sure to listen to my interview with Dave Crenshaw, author of the best-selling The Myth of Multitasking. You may download it here and give it a listen or a re-listen: https://meggin.com/classes/myth-of-multitasking/

• You may lose the ability to determine what your priorities are. When you are overwhelmed because you have too many different projects, you often lose your sense of ‘what’s important?’ Then you may imagine that you are procrastinating on something – and give yourself the typical drubbing for doing so – and in fact, you aren’t procrastinating. Kerul Kassel, a coach who writes about procrastination, recommends ending procrastination exaggeration. Certainly, if you are procrastinating, you need to own that but if you are simply so overwhelmed that you can’t sort out your priorities, then the last thing you need to do is flog yourself for focusing one place rather than on another.

• Problems arise when you have a sense of, 'I have 86 things I need to be doing,' which results in you doing a little of this and a little of that and a little of the other thing. If you work for 5 minutes on a budget and then 10 minutes on your email and then 4 minutes on the phone and then 15 minutes on an article and then 9 minutes answering questions from a couple of colleagues who dropped by and then 11 minutes grading papers and then 7 minutes back on the budget and then.....Well, you get the idea. You are losing SO MUCH time and energy by switching, or doing what I call “serial tasking,” that you will feel very little sense of accomplishment. That is because there is little accomplishment! Plus, you will feel a great deal of frustration. Ugh.
• Procrastination shows up – big time. If you are overwhelmed with all the different tasks, projects, and commitments you have to work on, then sometimes you might decide that instead of working on any of them, now is the perfect time to clean your desk, order something online, sharpen pencils, answer some email, go get your car cleaned up, drop by a colleague’s office, or whatever else it is that you do when you're avoiding the main tasks or projects that need to be done. [I remember deciding to defrost my apartment’s freezer when my dissertation deadline was drawing near – frightfully near. Tell me you haven’t done something similar! I am not sure I would believe you. :)]
• Energy and enthusiasm can go down the tubes. Let's say you have too many different projects in which you are involved. Because your attention is dispersed over too much, there's not enough of you (your energy, enthusiasm, drive, etc.) to give equally – or even wisely. Sadly, sometimes a project – that at one time was energizing and positive – has become something you dread because the enthusiasm you once felt has dissipated over too many projects.
• Health? Do I need to mention that one?
• Your relationships can suffer. This happens when you keep pushing more important, but less "urgent" tasks, commitments, and responsibilities to the side in order to get your task and project list completed.

I'm sure you can think of other costs to you, your colleagues, your students, your clients, and/or your community when you are a long way from the “just right” zone because you’ve exceeded the right number of different projects, tasks, and commitments. If you can’t think of any, ask the people you care about. They will be able to tell you.

To get you started on getting closer to being just right, take these steps:

1. Try to identify what your "number" is right now. Your number (in this case) means the number of tasks, projects, responsibilities, and commitments that you know would be just right for you at this time. Often, the way people determine their number is when they have exceeded it. You’ll be much better off trying to clarify your number before you have taken on more projects, etc. than you are able to comfortably handle. 

Be aware that your number is not the same forever and ever. It varies based on a number of factors that impact your overall energy and attention. For example, during the last year of my mother’s life and the first year after her death, the overall energy I had available for other projects, tasks, and responsibilities was significantly reduced. My “number” plummeted from its normal range. The reason I use this example is that time had nothing to do with my very low number. It was energy, plain and simple. The energy that was available to promise (ATP) to other responsibilities, projects, and tasks was limited. That needed to be acknowledged and adjusted for. 

So, Step 1 is to identify your number. 

2. Determine what needs to be done and what doesn’t. In some cases, you are determining what needs to be done now (vs. never) and in other cases, what needs to be done, but not now.

To give you a way of honing in on what needs to be done and then wisely whittling away the excess, answer these three questions (and you will need far more room than I could provide here, so get out some paper or open a document and start to write):

• Who is most important to you?
• What is most important to you?
• Who and what do you value above all else?

Note: You are answering these questions with the idea that no one else is ever going to see your answers except you. You aren’t answering what you think you “should” right down, but what you know to be true. Only truthful answers are then useful as a filter when making decisions about your various tasks, projects, and commitments, especially when you have too many different areas you are trying to keep up with. It helps you figure out which ones to keep – and which ones to release.

When you have too many projects, tasks, and commitments and have become something other than just right, it is time to release one or more of them. You are letting them go – somewhere else. Maybe one thing goes out into the ether, maybe something else goes to someone else, and maybe another item gets shared with another person. And here’s just one more tiny thought about what you might release when you’re practicing the Goldilocks strategy…control. 

I KNOW how hard this one is and yet….if we can release control of some projects, tasks, or commitments – it can move us a notch or two over on the Easy Spectrum?. Consider releasing control as part of your decision to release. 

3. Use your filter to whittle down the tasks, projects, and commitments to those that are most important and meaningful to you and to those you care about – and get yourself back under your “number.” 

The reason you are doing this is that life is harder when you have too many different tasks, projects, and commitments. And, your focus and impact are dispersed, diluted, and dissipated when you are trying to function in this state. You don’t want that. 

Share some ideas that have helped you when you get in this situation. We would all like to learn more possible strategies.

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Looking for more ways to shift to “just right”? For a limited time, use the coupon code GOLDILOCKSLINKED to access The Goldilocks Strategy – Getting Yourself to “Just Right” class with my compliments. In this class, you learn how to apply the Goldilocks Strategy so you can authentically, truthfully, and courageously establish an academic life that is “just right.” Register soon, the coupon GOLDILOCKSLINKED expires 7/31/20. https://meggin.com/classes/academic-decluttering/#session-5

About Meggin McIntosh

I’m a former university professor and administrator and am currently a coach, author, and workshop leader. People just like you, i.e., people who are overwhelmed and would prefer to be overjoyed instead, are the people I’m fortunate enough to attract and work with. I am thankful every day. https://meggin.com