So busy that nothing gets done?

   I consider myself an accomplishment orientated person. That means I tend to complete a lot of different tasks and handle a great many responsibilities on any given day. It usually means I am fairly busy. When people ask me how I keep going, I tell them I use the Ta-Done method. Most of the time this works, Sometimes, however, I get a bit over-busy, and suddenly I find I am getting nothing done. Can you relate? Then hang in there with me...

   Typically I don't make To-Do lists. They are depressing. No matter how much you work at checking items off, there seems to be an endless supply of things that still need to get done. It is like the laundry. Unless you plan on going naked, there will always be more wash to do. I don't recommend going au-naturel, especially if you live near Chicago. It can get pretty nippy outside and you might freeze parts of your body better off not frozen. Not to mention that nudity in general is typically frowned upon by society and can get you in trouble with the law. Wear clothes, do wash. Try not to think about it, otherwise, you may be depressed. And cold. And naked. And in jail.

   What I do to ward off the vicious cycle of the never ending To-Do checklist depression is create Ta-Done lists. Unlike a To-Do list, you don't check off tasks that are on the list, you add them as you complete them. In other words, start with a blank page and as you go about your business during the day, mark down each accomplishment that you have completed. You may cross them off if you like. At the end of the day you review your list. I find it much more satisfying to see what it is I was able to accomplish in a day instead of what I failed to finish.

   But what happens when you get to the end of a day, and the page is pretty empty? You know you were busy and were running around all day. You should have had plenty of time to pick up the stuff you needed for dinner at the store, you should have had time to make those phone calls, you should have had time to pay the bills on the desk, or at least cleared out your email in box. But you didn't get any of that done. The mail is unopened, the car needs gas, you haven't sent the reply to the school email sent out last week, and worse, you just can't bring yourself to make a phone call. There doesn't seem to be enough time to start a task, let alone end it. The page is looking fairly blank. There is no Ta-Dum at the end of the day, just a big Ta-Damn.

   Sproing. Mind and body both stop working, like a watch that has a broken a spring. Looks good on the outside, but nothing is working on the inside. Not just not working, but don't want to work.

At this point, I stop keeping lists, because nothing is getting Ta-Done.

   I tend to blame this situation on having a fairly flexible schedule. Seems that when you have a schedule that is flexible it is easy to swap out tasks, but before you know it, everything gets swapped out. And when you have swapped everything out, what is left? Nothing. Pretty soon you have piles of unwashed laundry and either you wear dirty clothes or you go naked. Naked can be pretty obvious, even to a casual observer. More so in January than in August. Dirty clothes might hide the situation, but you will probably notice a smell.

   Blame, however, cannot be placed entirely on flexibility. People with regimented schedules can suffer Sproing too. I know, I used to have a very regimented schedule but it did not prevent occasional Sproing from occurring in my life. Mind you, they were less often, but they still happened.

    Is there a solution? Sure. Sleep a couple of days. It is less obvious that you are wearing no clothes if you are beneath your sheets. Okay, realistically most of us cannot sleep a few days, but don't you wish? Instead take a shower, do a load of clothes, get dressed, have some coffee and make a To-Do list.

Yes, I just said that. The ultimate hater of To-Do lists just said make one.

   Make a To-Do list with only stuff you want to do. Completing the list should be easy. That is day one. Then on day two, make the list, but only put the stuff you really don't want to do on it. Stay with me, this is the hard stuff. Set a schedule of times that you will do these tasks and determine NOTHING will interfere (acts of God and children are acceptable exceptions to the rule). Then let yourself know that you have to do at least three things on the list or you are going to be consequences, like you have to give up something you really like. This can act as incentive. Perhaps you might give away your favorite outfit. Donate your favorite pair of shoes. Maybe you will take all the chocolate out of your house and throw it away. However, if you are a coffee drinker, do not give up coffee. That would be counter productive.

   Once you have done three hard things and crossed them off your list, do something not on the list, something quick and easy, and write it down, then cross it off. Maybe do two or three of these type of tasks and cross them off. You may feel a bit of a rush. Pat yourself on the back, then return to one of the hard items on the list, complete it and cross off. Repeat these steps until you have completed all your tasks, or at least the vast majority of them. As you complete tasks on the To-Do list, you will have more room to add done items, until  your list turns itself into a Ta-Done list. Much more satisfying.

   Once you are in the habit of making Ta-Done lists, the gloom that was hanging around you at the end of the day should evaporate. Please note, you may find that you still have to give yourself reminders of some of the things you really need to accomplish in a day. Doctor appointments are not optional. Reminders are not To-Do lists, they are assistants for the driven and the motivated. Aids for the busy. Guides for those of us who sometimes can't remember why we came into a room. Put them in your calendar. Whatever you do, avoid making a list out of these tasks! You are going to be working on Ta-Done lists.

   Now, don't expect overnight results. The piles of laundry did not accumulate overnight (though they may seem like they did). It is going to take time. You may need help. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Help is a great motivator. Share your results. Little victories are very satisfying too. Ta-Done lists are meant to be encouraging and everyone's encouragement is different.

   At this point, some of you reading this may say that Sproing sounds an awful lot like depression. My response is that while the symptoms are very similar, Sproing is a temporary (although somewhat debilitating) condition in which typically busy people suddenly seem to get nothing done. The results are temporary disappointment and frustration. It is a condition that can be rectified with simple, self-help steps, much like mine listed above.

    If, however, you suffer from similar symptoms that linger, simple techniques will most likely not produce viable results. I urge you to seek professional help of a doctor, just as I would if you broke your leg. I am not a doctor, just a blogger. Neither anxiety nor depression are light subject matter, nor do I address them as such. Please know, that you are not alone and there are people that can help.

   Some sites to aid in seeking help with depression:
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
7 Cups of Tea
Students Against Depression
Beyond Blue

Because everyone deserves a satisfying tomorrow.