So it is the most viewed thread on this forum, with 732 posts and 13,316 views.

It must be helpful to folks if it is so popular - try it.

Another idea that a very kind former pdoc of mine gave me that I use - 3 goals.

Say, before going to bed, write down 3 things that you plan to do in the morning. Do them and do not add anything to your list until you have done the 3 things in the morning.

I may add to her advice: do break down complex tasks into simple tasks.

E.g. if I want to make a homemade cleaning solution using lavender oil, dish soap, and vinegar, all in a spray bottle (using a funnel), I put "find the spray bottle" as a separate task, because I do know where the ingredients are and where the funnel is, but I do not remember where I put the spray bottle. Clearly, looking for the spray bottle may take me far more time than dosing oil, vinegar and soap into the bottle using a funnel. If I only set the goal of having the cleaning solution made - in other words, using the final product as my only goal - I would not account for most of the time spent towards the goal, and would get anxious and antsy and frustrated while looking for an empty spray bottle because to me it would be "wasted time" and I would berate myself for not knowing where stuff is in my apartment despite many months work of organizing and decluttering efforts. All of that berating ain't gonna make me feel any better. But if I set realistic goals, in line with the actual state of affairs and not with a fairy tale picture (a place for everything and everything in its place), then the time spent looking for the spray bottle would not count as wasted, and I would rejoice when I find the spray bottle.

I can almost guarantee that you set goals using "broad brushstrokes", because this is how you describe them: a thousand things (how is it specific? how is it doable? how is it an attainable goal?), get groceries (do you have a list? if you do not, do you have a system (in your mind or on paper or online) to generate a list?), have a good meal (how is it defined?). So the way you envision making progress is overwhelming, because you commit to too many goals, some of which are not attainable, and you simply might overwhelm yourself by having so many broad, non-specific, confusing goals which compete for your attention and cannot all be accomplished at once.

Which takes us back to the 3 thing rule. I am sorry I added this lengthy write-up to my former pdoc's 3 thing rule advice, but I know from experience that how I define what a "thing" is really impacts my progress and sense of satisfaction.

Since you are an editor, making written lists would seem the way to go.