Ever have a day, week, or month where you just feel so overwhelmed you can't seem to get anything done? It can feel like important tasks are slipping through the cracks when you can't keep track of all you have to do! Well, here is a quick, easy-to-use strategy for organizing your tasks and taking the first step toward accomplishing everything you need to do and more.
Try this:
Set priorities. This strategy takes the To Do list one step further. Write everything you need to do onto post-its, with one task per post-it (this will make it easier to move tasks around). Then categorize these into three sections: A, B, and C. Note: it may help to use three different colors of post-its, especially if you are a visual person.
In category A place all the tasks that are absolutely critical. These can be the most important tasks that need to get done, the ones that are the most time sensitive, tasks you want to finish by the end of the day.
In category B place all the tasks that are important, but not as time critical. These can be tasks that you want to get done by the end of the week.In category C place all the tasks that can be postponed, ignored, or avoided completely.
Here's a helpful hint for your C tasks: Put your C tasks into a Don't Do list. In doing this, you are giving yourself permission to NOT do a task. Instead of thinking about how much you didn't get done that day, and spending a lot of time and energy worrying about tasks that you still need to do, give yourself permission to procrastinate. Eventually, you can move items from your Don't Do list onto your To Do list.
This strategy can be done for all sorts of To Do items, including telephone calls! This can be used for both professional work and in your personal life.
Discover more great organizational strategies here, as well as learn about the various ways in which we waste time. Be sure to check out our new course on Time Management, and take advantage of the first 3 FREE tutorials on how to manage time more effectively.
