Totally empathize, Pat! I’m also one to try to clear the decks before I focus on a bigger project, even as I know that all the decks don’t need to be cleared, first. So much mental clutter.

Your comment reminded me of a simple matrix I used to draw for my staff when I was a manager: Four cells in a 2×2 grid: Across the top, Urgent and Not Urgent; along the side, Important and Not Important. So you end up with four categories: Important and Urgent; Important and Not Urgent; Urgent and Not Important; Not Urgent and Not Important.

The whole social media distraction is all about Urgent and Not Important, which means a waste of time. Relatively few items usually actually belong in Urgent and Important. And the most significant tasks/goals belong in Important and Not Urgent, because those are the activities/projects that matter the most and take a longer time to address, but often get put off because of all the Urgent and Not Important stuff crowding them out. Obviously, realizing what is Not Important and Not Urgent is essential to keeping sanity!