There’s almost nothing more demoralizing than having a task hanging over your head.

I don’t mean getting up and realizing you’ve got “x” to do. At least then you can actually do it. I’m talking about when something needs doing and it just remains on your mental do list. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month.

Maybe longer.

Whew. Just writing about that makes me tired, and I’m writing while lying down on a couch. Because that’s what unaccomplished tasks do to you. They wear you out.

I don’t have an answer as to why the unaccomplished stuff is so tiring. Just some guesses. And some solutions.

So to avoid being worn out by inaction, here’s things you can – and should do. Crucial stuff. So pay attention.

1. Make a list. Yeah, you’ve been hearing this since you were 14. Now do it. Make a list, every day, of stuff you want to get done, and try very hard to do them. Like any other task, list making – and list task completion – are things that get better with practice.
2. Keep in mind your bigger life goals and look at how your day to day stuff is working to make those big things happen.
3. Some things you should keep off your list. The first are things you really don’t want to do. Did I need to tell you that? Also keep minor, easily completable stuff off. Those, just do them. Completing a little 30 second task right away – if you possibly can – is far better than writing it down.
4. Have a bias toward action. If you want something done, do it, or at least take steps toward doing it.
5. Have a very real sense of the value of your time. It is very easy to let your time be taken up by trivia that’s not worth your time. My house is surrounded by trees and every October our gutters are packed with leaves. Could I clean those gutters out? Sure. But there’s a great guy we know who cleans them all for $50. Cheap. He comes in with two guys and they get it all done in 15 minutes. Some people think it sounds pretentious to say that your time is too valuable to do something, but that’s the reality.
6. On the other hand, if you like doing something, then do it. I happen to enjoy lawn mowing, so I do it. Worth my time? In one sense, no, but it’s a task I find refreshing.
7. Ditto for purchases. If you’re buying a car, spend time researching. If you’re buying a can opener, just pick up something that works and buy it. It’s easy to get consumed by reading reviewed and analyzing every money outlay. Easy and stupid.
8. It’s ok to throw things out. Really. One of the downsides of environmentalism is the notion that it’s somehow wrong. But let’s say you bought our hypothetical can opener, used it two weeks, and it broke. Bummer. But don’t return it. What did you spend on it? 10 bucks? And you’re telling me you’re going to drive ten minutes away, look for parking, return the item, and drive another ten minutes home? For 10 bucks? Does your time have no value at all?
9. Some things, of course, have no monetary value, but are infinitely valuable. Playing with your baby, talking to your husband, playing a game, worshipping – I could go on and on but you get the picture. Don’t neglect these things. In the end, that time is probably the most valuable you’ll ever use.

You’ll figure out the best way to accomplish the stuff you need to. What’s crucial is getting it done. Find a way, and do it.