Get Everything Done

I'm feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Any advice?

I have a list at work running to about 6 pages and at home running to about 5 pages. I am at work now. I have just looked at my list and I feel stuck. It's not a good feeling. I don't get this 'stand out' concept at all. It's like every task is equal - everything needs to be done. Then I get a feeling of overwhelm. I just don't know what to do. I know the solution is not to pick randomly. So I have just done nothing on the list and gone and made a cup of tea. It's avoidance/procrastination kicking in obviously. It's feels like not having a clear indication about what to do next is bringing back my old habits - write a list, feel overwhelmed, and then go and do nothing on it. Help!

It's so good to have this forum here to even be able to ask for help.

Maybe just try doing even a tiny part of 1 item on each page - pick anything, even if nothing jumps out. This was mentioned in one of the other posts.

I have a different feeling now, after I sorted out being stuck on the first page :), I feel a lot more relaxed and I can feel things starting to work. I think the trick is not to beat yourself up about things, let your mind just single something out to start on regardless of what that might be overall. In a way let it go into autopilot/autofocus mode and don't try to analyze the choice. Don't think about it too much - trust your instincts. If you are really stuck then I don't think it is a bad idea to pick something at random - because random in essence will be your mind still making a sort of choice as such. So will it really be random?

Try slowing down your reading a little - don't forget, only one page at a time. Try to concentrate on the item you're pointing at (Mark mentioned that using a pointer can be useful), and see if any particular item gives you a lighter sense than others, or a sense of depth or relief or energy. This won't work if your mind is trying to compare all the items. The items have to speak for themselves, as it were, and inform you of their value to you, without being shouted down by the others.

Concentrating on one item at a time will make the list less overwhelming, but if an individual item also feels overwhelming in itself, it probably needs breaking down or re-phrasing.

Alternatively, how about a trick to make the choice not-quite-random. Read the list quickly and then close your eyes and see what pops up in your mind. And then do it - don't "change your mind".

Or why not just do a few "random" items and then see what happens? So long as you don't spend hours on them the worst that can happen is that you get a few things done instead of nothing, and you might find that the "standing out" starts to happen.