When You Fall Behind...

I think we’ve all been here. Whether it’s procrastination, laziness, or just life not allowing you time to do the things you need, we’ve all fallen behind on our tasks and goals. I know the beginning of a new year isn’t the best time to talk about this, but it needs to be discussed.

We’re only two weeks into 2021, but I’m about to fall behind. I’ve been very good so far about staying on track and on task, but this is one of those situations that comes out of nowhere and slaps you in the face.

I’ve recently sent my next novel, the second in my series that is on a strict deadline, to my beta readers. Even though I had everything planned, everything according to my schedule, I now find myself having to put everything on hold to (shudder) rewrite my book and still make the deadline.

Now, I know I’ll probably have to ask for an extension to actually get it done, but that’s okay. As long as I’m making sure that the content I put out for you guys is the best it can be, I’m happy. But it does throw me off in other areas, so I’ve been having to rework some things.

This blog post is not just me complaining about my situation. This is going to be me telling you how I am moving past this and still managing to stay on task. It can be so overwhelming playing catch-up, but never fear! We’ll get through this together!

The first step is to make a list. I am the queen of lists – I have one for everything. So, you have a lot on your plate? List every task out in no particular order. Just get it all down on the page and out of your head.

Step number two is to prioritize that list. To the side of each task, write out if any of them have deadlines or if they have to be completed that day. This will help you determine what has to be done immediately, and what can wait an hour or a few days.

Now you have a list of tasks that you can structure into a schedule. I also find it helpful to set my own deadlines on certain tasks, that way I don’t have something that stays on my to-do list for weeks at a time. It’s best to get it done while you can instead of putting it off.

And there you have it! I really hope that this is helpful. It’s how I do my scheduling, especially in times like these where I have multiple projects that I’m juggling at once.

 

Until next time,

Lori Fayre