Getting Stuff Done

Getting things done is not the most glamorous of well-being strategies, or the most exciting or complete. But sometimes it is what we need to give ourselves a boost.

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From crossing things off our to-do lists, to achieving long term goals, it feels good to get things done. Often, when we are stressed or have something hanging over our heads, what we need most for our mental health is to take some action to resolve the challenge. Make a goal. Check stuff off your list. What is that “thing” that is bugging you, nagging at you and stressing you out? There is so much you can do to care for the nest, and in turn, attend to your psychological health and well-being. Here are three practical and simple ways to get started:

Take Small Steps. Think of a challenge you are facing, or something that has you stressed or worried. What one thing can you do in the next 24 hours to help make progress on that item? (You do not need to resolve it entirely. What one thing can you do to make it a little bit better?) Do it.

List and Act. In five minutes, write down all the things that you must get done. Circle two or three items. Do them.

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Schedule Time. We all have stuff that we don’t want to do, but must get done. 1) Pick an item. 2) Block off a starting and ending time on your calendar to work on that item. 3) At the allotted hour, do it. Stop at the time you had pre-determined. 4) Reward yourself, immediately. 5) Repeat as necessary.

Happiness Field Manual. These are just three strategies for enhancing well-being excerpted from the Happiness Field Manual. Some will have a stronger effect than others. Some will last longer. Not every exercise will work for every person, all the time. There are also complexities and subtleties to each that are not addressed in this short post. The complete Happiness Field Manual is available for free here.