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Complete One Thing

When we can't think straight, it's often because we have too much stuff on our plates. Decisions deferred or actions delayed don't go away; they just add to your pile. One way out of this clutter is to complete things systematically, before starting something new. Decide, act, complete.

  • Make or review your to-do list for the week — or the day — or the hour.
  • Now pick one item that you can complete or one decision you can make in five minutes or less. Make a phone call? Send an email? Decide what to have for lunch? Order a birthday bouquet? Jog in place?
  • Great! Now cross it off your list and say out loud: "Done!" No matter how small a task, give yourself credit for completing it. As your list shrinks, your sense of control and competence expands. One success sets you up for another.
As you become a master of completion, you will be spurred on by your obvious progress. Feel your head clear as you cross one more thing off your list. Every time you complete something, you reduce the number of things you have to remember to do. When your mind has fewer incompletes to keep track of, it won't need to keep switching tracks.

More on: Dealing With Stress

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A series of "quick-lifts" excerpted from Recharge in Minutes, ©2003, by Suzanne Zoglio, Ph.D.

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