Years ago, we visited my wife’s aunt in California. When we opened her fridge door, it felt like the whole world came tumbling out – it was so jampacked.
And that was not it – they had another industrial-scale freezer in their garage which was just as packed. In fact, in their house, everything was too much. Clearly, they were quite well off.
But the feeling you got was not of plenty, but of overwhelm – too much stuff.
Everything we possess occupies space – not just physical space, but also in our mind.
In fact, even more than physical possessions, it applies to our tasks, priorities, and goals. Our brain is designed to hold very limited information in that mental space, which is our working memory.
Too much to do is making you miserable.
To stop that misery, cut down on things weighing on your mind. Here are a few ideas:
– Have fewer to-dos. Just delete stuff when you can. Delegate and deprioritize are a distant second.
– Set a limit for how many tasks you take up each day. Here is a rule of thumb: pick three tasks per day, not more. Then iterate.
– Decline meetings and other engagements unless they are worth your peace of mind — some are but most aren’t.
Your poor overloaded brain needs a break. Please don’t deny it.
– Rajan