Add a section on dealing with overly long next actions lists

1 files changed, 32 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/projects-next-actions.mdwn b/projects-next-actions.mdwn
index 19b5c0d..da9a0d2 100644
--- a/projects-next-actions.mdwn
+++ b/projects-next-actions.mdwn
@@ -134,3 +134,35 @@ Still, for inspiration, here's the list of contexts I use:
 * **At laptop, online**: like the previous one, but these require both the
   laptop and Internet access
 
+
+"My lists are too long"
+-----------------------
+
+Inevitably, life dumps more on you than you can handle, at least in
+the short term. I feel like that every Monday morning. One sign of
+this is that my next actions list keeps growing, and doesn't ever
+seem to get shorter.
+
+Sometimes this becomes so overwhelming I can't stand it, and I need to
+do something about it. My main strategy is to drop commitments until
+I have the situation under control again. For example, if I've got
+five ideas for blog posts to write, I'll delete those, or move them
+to someday/maybe. Or I find other things I can wriggle out of doing,
+though sometimes that requires careful diplomacy (also known as
+throwing a tantrum).
+
+The feeling of being overwhelmed is an important indicator to me
+that my level of stress is rising too high. In principle, it doesn't
+matter if your next actions list is very long, as long as you keep
+doing each thing before it's too late. However, if I'm under too
+much stress, the mere length of the list starts causing stress, and
+I start avoiding even looking at it, and then everything starts
+falling apart.
+
+And that's why I try to keep my lists at manageable lengths.
+
+Before dropping commitments, I try to do things like doing as many
+quick tasks as possible, or avoiding new commitments while I deal with
+the old ones. Those strategies tend to work only if I'm not already
+overstressed.
+