With the sheer amount of things running around in my head I simply had to figure out a way to organize, categorize and prioritize.
Of course there are apps, web applications, mentors, and a myriad of other ways to relief stress and increase productivity when it comes to managing multiple tasks.
But as Occam would say, the simplest method is often the most efficient.
That is why I have begun writing just about everything down in actionable ways. I can't be the only one here whose mind begins to race at the seemingly insurmountable amount of things required to be done in order to achieve a certain goal, and more so if the goal is a rather lofty one.
It is imperative that items be actionable and not vague. Writing down (as I have before) "Python CodeCademy" is useless and can't even be verified for completion. A more efficient item on a to do list would go along the lines of, "Finish Intro To Classes Module". Then I can check - Did I finish this module? Why or Why Not? Should I get more granular? ... and so on.
There's something special about writing things as well. I can't quite put my finger on it (no pun intended), but when pen meets paper my concerns seem to vanish as my ideas take on simpler form.
Once all is jotted down, I categorize and look at what needs to be done and what is fluff.
Combined with my calendar, where I've made it a habit to include all my deadlines, meetings, and other tasks, I can prioritize my list items based on urgency and importance.
And when something doesn't get finished. It simply gets moved onto the following day's To Do list, which is compiled the night before.
Voila, productivity increased.
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