Do you ever wonder if you are busy just for the sake of being busy?

Busyness is a bit of a habit. We get used to the feeling of being rushed. And that’s kind of an awful feeling, especially since kids keep getting bigger whether or not we make the time to enjoy them while they are little.

When my to-do list gets out of control, I have a little formula that helps me to stop procrastinating and actually get down to the business of getting stuff done. It’s simple, but it’s effective — prioritize, delegate, and adjust your expectations.

Prioritize

The most important step you can take when it comes to having a productive day is to sit down and prioritize what needs to be done. Staying busy all day long organizing the deepest crevices of your closet won’t make one bit of a difference if you have an important work project due or your kids have pressing needs.

To do this, you’ll need to sort out the difference between urgent and important. Urgent things need to get done, but if we only focus on the urgent we forget to make time for the important. An example of this is an important work deadline vs. a sick child who needs some attention. Urgent things usually have a deadline. Important things are the moments you are going to remember 10 years from now.

It’s really, really hard to push aside the urgent for the important. I’m guilty of doing this far too often.

Accept the fact that you will not get everything done on your to-do list and focus on the most important items. I promise you, if you get those things done, you’ll feel productive when the end of the day rolls around.

Delegate

I’m am a notoriously bad delegator. When I was put on bedrest during my pregnancy last winter I had no choice but to bring in outside help. I was drowning. But I felt guilty having someone else clean up after all of us, even if I was paying them to do just that. I kid you not, it took me nearly a month to hand over the reigns of even the minor household choice. Guilt got in the way.

But it isn’t just guilt that is an issue when it comes to delegating. How often do you give your kids a household job only to go in and redo it after they’ve already done the work?

Perfection can get in the way too.

For years I’ve tried to remind myself that when I let my kids work I’m training them to really help as they get older. I’m finally being rewarded for that now with my 9 year old who can probably clean the kitchen better than I can.

Delegate what you can and when you find yourself wanting to redo the job or criticize what was done . . . stop.

Adjust your Expectations

I over-think things. A lot. Rather than resulting in perfection, more often than not, I end up just wasting time and nothing gets done.

Somethings do have to be done perfectly. Most things in our life do not.

I have to remind myself that getting something done is more important than procrastinating until I can do it perfectly. Perfection is overrated. Reevaluate your expectations and get those pesky things on your to-do list checked off so you can get on with your life.

What tricks do you have for getting things done?

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