Thinking Through Paper
Mentally I get jammed up all the time, every day I feel overwhelmed by work and tasks. Whenever I want to do a deep work, I find my mind wondering. I could not concentrate on the task and sometimes I do not even know what task that I should focus on.
Step 1: Write it all down
Whenever I feel stuck with work or life, I would do a brain dump onto a piece of paper. I write whatever that comes into my head. I do not care whether it is important or not important. I just write it all down.
While writing down my thoughts, I must associate the task or topic with an action. That's the only rule. For example, if I have to call someone about an insurance claim. I must write "Call X about insurance claim". I cannot just write "Call X" or "X". When I review what was written, I do not need to think what I am trying to accomplish.
Step 2: Review what was written
Review each task by deciding on what to do next.
- Do it now, if the task takes less than 2 minutes to finish.
- Schedule it, open your calendar and put the task into your calendar. Set the reminder and complete the task when the time comes.
- Automate it. The most common is set up an automated savings plan or paying bills. This saves the stress of missing payment.
- Delegate it, if you have someone who can help you. Delegate the task and let the person do it. Make sure the person understands the intend and check the work when done.
- Don't do it, if the task serves no purpose or does not bring you closer to your goals. Cross it out from the paper and forget about it.
Why Write on Paper?
Writing on paper helps me to slow down my thinking. I have to choose my words carefully. Writing feels different than typing. Typing is monotonous, each keystroke is the same. While writing is not, each word writes differently. I feel that I can remember better and think better when I write.
What about Large Projects?
The idea is similar. Write down all the task that you need to complete. You can either do it immediately, schedule it or delegate it.