First

Earlier today, we were packing for a month-long vacation.

I was staring at a to-do-before-leaving list that was several lines long.

I felt the common sense of overwhelm that one feels when looking at lists like this.

A while ago, I shared an idea of how to approach this problem, in a post called Sequencing (1 min read).

In the post I said, when you're staring at an overwhelming list, the key decision to make is what to do first.

I realized today, that I didn't take this idea far enough.

An obvious question you might have is, "Well Shum, how do I decide what to do first?"

The answer I'm about to share is not based on any kind of research, though I'm sure plenty exists.

It is purely based on the repeated moments of starting at daunting lists, and overcoming them—slowly.

Before I tell you the answer, let me tell you what it's based on.

A daunting list creates a tension.

The tension is I haven't done anything. It's a feeling that says, everything is incomplete.

How do you resolve that tension?

Complete one thing.

The faster, the better.

So, how do you decide what to do first?

Ask yourself, "What can I start and fully finish, fast?"

Once you do that once, the tension will ease a little.

Now, repeat.