Do you ever feel like you are getting buried under a ton of bricks by your work? Does it feel like you are unable to breathe? And no matter what you do you will never seem to catch up with your workload? Well join the club; the club of millions of people across the globe fortunate enough to be employed in this age of cutbacks and layoffs.
With cutbacks and downsizing at organizations, there is more work to do for the people still working there. Everyone is taking on heavier and heavier loads, bearing more weight for the company. And you’ll do it without a flinch or the bat of the eye, after all look at your alternative – unemployment! You may be only one person around to complete all the tasks, but you need to learn to cope and to manage yourself as a more productive and effective employee. You will be pleased with yourself when you do. But you might ask, what is the first step I take to get out from this overload of tasks? How do I begin> What can I do…I feel overwhelmed…
Prioritizing can help!
This is one of those times where you need to spend a little time to save yourself even more time. Start by writing down each item on your to do list. It’s okay if you fill up the whole page, just invest in getting your list written down no matter how big or small. Next, label each item prioritizing it as an A, B or C item.
- A = Item which is urgent in respect to time. No matter the importance it needs to be done right away.
- B = Item of importance and somewhat time sensitive, but not with an immediate need.
- C = Item which is not urgent or does not have a time line.
Once you have each item prioritized, you have done the hard part. Your path to success is clear.
Start with the A items, work through each task, move to the B items, complete each task and eventually move on to the C items completely clearing your list. Well maybe not. You see, it is not likely your list will ever be clear on any given day. It is likely you will continually be adding new items to your list which is why you will need to re-prioritize as new tasks come in. Each task will vary in importance, so be flexible with your priorities. Allow new projects to take precedence when need be.
As times passes, items which are lower on the list often increase in priority. Something which was not important last week could take precedence today; so it is important to review your list daily.
“As new items keep piling up taking precedence; when will you ever get to those C items?” Great question.
A and B items can often take much time and concentration, but if you use your time wisely, you will find time to complete all your tasks. First take a good look at those C items determining if they are really something you need to get done or are they non-productive filler items which can be scratched off your list. Next, take a look at your schedule to find bits of time where you will not be able to focus accurately on the important A or B tasks; this could be on the seat of airplane, on the commute into work or while waiting for an appointment; no matter the case, use this time to knock out a few of those C items. It could be a phone call or quick email. Either way, use this gray time do what you can to complete a few C items.
Fighting Fires
What if you have multiple high priority items needing completion right away? Take a look at each item determining which item is most important or urgent. If you come across a hard decision it becomes a judgment call. No one knows your job better than you so make the call. If you are not confident in your ability to do this, contact your manager, present them with the conflict, offer potential solutions, and then ask for help, guidance, or opinion.
When you are feeling buried alive remember to ask yourself what is important, prioritize it and carry out your goals one by one.
Are there other things you can prioritize in your life? What other methods do you use to get yourself out from under the workload?
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Jason Christensen is National Accounts Manager for The Stanley Works.
He can be reached at [email protected]
Image Sources: topschoolfundraisers.com, languagesafari.com, utvet.com
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Outstanding