Ever been overwhelmed by the number of tasks ahead of you? Perhaps it was the contractual arrangements you have with one or more clients…the administrative responsibilities – like claiming expenses, preparing your books, invoicing, looking ahead to the next contract… and on top of these, the responsibilities in your home life – paying the bills, managing the kids, overseeing the renovation. If you’re not careful, all these obligations can flood your mind with anxiety, leaving you unable to take control of any of them. But it needn’t be so. First of all, let’s not pretend we can multi-task. There have been plenty of studies and anecdotes to demonstrate that, man or woman, there is no way we can deliver the best results when we try to do more than one thing at a time. So, having come to terms with the fact that we need to face one task at a time, let’s consider how best to keep everything we need to do under control. Imagine the tasks you have ahead as ‘open loops’ or the ‘Zeigarnik Effect. This is a psychological phenomenon described by Bluma Zeigarnik, which states that people remember/dwell more on uncompleted or interrupted tasks than they do on completed tasks. To ‘close the loops’ without becoming overwhelmed and stressed, we need to learn to focus on closing one task (loop) at a time. Take advantage of tools, like Apple’s Notes, Reminders, a Calendar – even pen and paper – to do this. Enter important events in your Calendar, smaller tasks in your Reminders and dump any thoughts/steps / creative ideas needed to tackle a project in Notes so you don’t need to focus on trying to remember them. By doing this, you’ll release the anxiety that comes with trying to keep everything – all those balls of life – in your head. Even if you’re not able to get on to the task right now, at least everything will be there, in one place, when the time presents to ‘close the loop’. Now, when that time comes to tackle the task in hand, you’ll be prepared to get things done. Break the task down into smaller steps, allocate time for each step then focus on one at a time until the whole project comes together. After completing a step, reward yourself with a five-minute break; complete four steps, then allow a longer break… focus, rest, reactivate… before you know it you’ll have found a structure that enables you to close your loops of life in the most productive way, and, with the least stress. Simple! We Can Help You Close the Loops Multi-tasking? Managing contracts, let alone completing your obligations, is time-consuming and can be stressful. At the Ayers Group, our fit for purpose software will enable you to manage your contracts online. From one user-friendly platform, you can initiate and sign off contracts, manage your costs of doing business, invoices, tax obligations and more. Talk to an expert from the Ayers Group today about how we can ease your administrative burden so you can focus on growing your wealth.