As people mentioned here: a note book.

Here’s my method: on a blank sheet of paper, write down everything in your head that has to get done. Big or little. Break down goals into sub goals. Add to it over a couple days. also the “getting things done” method has a GIANT checklist for every category of life, work, medical, etc. This list will be massive and crazy overwhelming. But it’s not in your head anymore. You have a blue print to who you want to be and how you want to act. Don’t forget this is a rough draft. Literally brain dump. Word vomit. This is your master list. I usually title mine fun things like “shitshow round up”.

Next, I have two methods to organize the brain dump depending on the type of work that needs to be done and how much help I have. I have crippling anxiety and ADHD so Prioritizing tasks is really difficult sometimes.

Method 1 (best for prioritizing help): Eisenhower matrix. This is a 2 x 2 matrix that is divided into urgent versus not urgent on one axis. The other axis is divided into important versus not important. The things that land in urgent and important will need to be done by you ASAP. Things that are important, but not urgent will need to be scheduled. If you have help, if something urgent but not important this is a task that doesn’t require your expertise or input in so go ahead and delegate it if you can. If you don’t have assistance, which it kind of sounds like they really want you to be independent, the order I do things is urgent and important, then I schedule everything, swing back around to the urgent but not important tasks and then complete the rest by schedule. The last category is not urgent and not important. Traditionally, this category is known as “delete it”. I can’t do that. It might not be important to me right now or life-threatening but it’s something still in my brain so I usually put this on a separate piece of paper for my next to do list.

Method 2 (best for categories, easier when things have clear priorities like for example, work has to be completed or you will be fired): for this method, I usually make large categories like chores, work, school, health, hobbies, tasks that I need to do for someone else. In a separate space I usually also put upcoming deadlines. For me usually work or school have things that are very urgent and I know that I prioritize them over things like hobbies that I would like to get done. The other two sections that I usually put on the page across from these categories are things to get done ASAP and things to get done this week. Then I just rewrite the task over on one of these lists. Repeat daily and weekly until the large list is gone.

Final step: cross things out as you go. Draw arrows by the check box if it is getting transferred to the next list.

I do this monthly (or try to). When I get really overwhelmed with things floating around in my head, I sit down and do this.

Some tips: if you try this, write the list tonight. All it takes is a pen and paper (I like dot paper). that way, any appointments you have to make you can do first thing tomorrow. (This may also mean researching things for said appointments like providers in network etc tonight). Have those numbers ready so that on break tomorrow you can call! Work will be easier to schedule around those appointments sooner rather than later so get that out of the way.

Final tip: when I was really going through it (studying for my medical school entrance exam+spring of senior year in college+finals+massive Competition that I worked like 300 hours for+then my grandpa died), I got a dry erase wall calendar that was 3 months for all important dates and crossing the days off one by one. When I was studying for my first board exam, I got extra large full stick post it notes and put like 60 on the wall, all marked with how many days till the exam, study material, and color coded for routine. I micromanaged the shit out of my life because when I’m anxious I need something to channel that energy into.

Okay, that’s all my advice about what works for me and how I manage my demons. also I love my meds. Those help too.