So, you’ve been backlogged. We all know the feeling; you have a whole bunch of books you want to read, movies or shows to watch, or video games to play, but you simply can’t find the time to get through all of it. If you’re like me, it can add yet another layer of stress to your already stressful life. 

Sometimes it can almost feel like you have more clutter in the confines of your brain. For some, it can feel like they are unproductive amidst the constant onslaught of entertainment recommendations from friends and family. Because of this, a lot of people tend to just fall back on their familiar favorites. 

So what can be done? How do you get through what can feel like a mountain of books, films, or games? Well, there certainly isn’t a definitive foolproof answer, but I can give some advice to make that mountain seem a little less daunting. A lot of these concepts can be applied to everyday work and chores, but this will be primarily focused on entertainment.

1: Make a list

This may sound obvious, but I recommend making a list of everything you still have to get through. It helps to visually take stock of everything you have to do and to get a better idea of what you still have to do. Just having that list and putting a number to everything kind of makes it feel less stress-inducing now that it’s all on a page.

2: Organize

Now that you’ve made that list, it’s time to organize it. There is a multitude of creative ways to organize it and make it work for you, but I’d recommend separating it into multiple categories. The big ones should be what you have, what you don’t have, and what has yet to come out. Next, mark up which things are currently in progress and which ones you will start soon after.

3: Trim the fat

When you’re done creating and organizing, it’s time to trim the fat. Go over your list again and measure exactly which things are worth your time. Look through the list and see which things are expendable or skippable and remove them. You can add them back later if need be but for now, just focus on what you really want to experience. There’s only a certain amount of time we have for leisurely activities, so don’t prioritize the stuff you don’t really want to do.

4: Don’t set strict goals or deadlines

This could sound weird since I’m giving advice on how to get through your backlog but hear me out. This isn’t for school or work, and you can’t always dictate the whims of fate, so don’t set strict goals or deadlines on when you will get a game, book, or show done. All this will do is add more stress to the situation, and it will lead to less enjoyment of any story because you will be counting down the chapters, episodes, or levels until you are done rather than paying attention to what is in front of you.

5: You don’t have to finish everything

Very often, I see some people have this weird mentality that they have to finish everything they start, and that’s simply not the case. If you got a good way through a book, movie, or game and feel like you’ve had your fill or just aren’t liking it, then drop it. There is no need for you to finish everything, so just play, read, or watch until you feel like you’ve had your fill.