Imagine you’re working on a task with great focus and suddenly, a new, urgent issue comes up. What do you do?
The simple answer is to “reprioritize,” but that’s easier said than done if you don’t have all your tasks in one place.
Without a solid system, you’ll worry about what’s slipping through the cracks when you pivot to handle a new issue.
On days like this, where you’re juggling endless emails, struggling to find information, and losing track of tasks, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and stressed out.
Decisions are harder to make. And given the pressure you’re under, planning and prioritizing are huge challenges.
With every interruption and distraction, you feel further behind and with a surprise issue, your stress can reach a breaking point.
By the end of the day, you’ll feel like you didn’t accomplish much and you’re likely to take that stress home.
If this sounds familiar, here are some steps you can take to manage tasks most effectively, be more prepared for the unexpected, and reduce its impact.
- Collect All Tasks in ONE Place
When you try to tackle too many tasks in a day that doesn’t have the time, you’ll end up dissatisfied and disappointed that you didn’t accomplish meaningful work. Without the ability to accurately prioritize, you can also choose to work tasks that are NOT the top priority and lose time on more trivial things.
Instead, centralize tasks in one, digital system so you have full awareness of what you need to work on—both today and in the future. It doesn’t matter where the tasks came from or whether you’ll work on them today or not. When tasks are centralized, you’ll have a complete overview of responsibilities. You’ll be better able prioritize and act with confidence on the tasks that are important to work on today.
- Clarify Each Task
When adding tasks to your system, break them down into simple, actionable steps. Starting with clear, small action steps helps you build momentum, making it easier to stay productive and motivated. For example, instead of “work on the ABC project,” try “start the first draft of the ABC project proposal.”
- Plan and Prioritize
With tasks all in one system, it’s so much easier to compare tasks and decide which action steps must be taken this week and which steps will have to wait until later—tomorrow, next week, and beyond. Give EVERY task a target date of action. “ASAP” is not realistic and HOPE is not a plan. Thinking “later” or “at some point” aren’t helpful either. Give every task a target date of action and you’re instantly prioritizing with more precision. Before you know it, you’ll have a real plan to keep you on track.
- Focus on Fewer Tasks Per Day
Aim to complete just a few of your most important tasks each day to ensure your plan is realistic and achievable. If you try to accomplish 10, 15 or 20 tasks each day, you’re likely to be disappointed at the end of the day. Less is more when targeting what you can REALLY do each day and, remember, you still have to deal with email, too. With fewer tasks planned per day, you’ll be sure to finish the day with a sense of accomplishment so you can look forward to unplugging in your personal time.
- Work with Peace of Mind
Once you’ve chosen a few key tasks for the day, mentally let go of the rest. Since each task is already contained in one system and each one shows a target date of action, you’re not facing an “endless to-do list.” This focused approach reduces distractions and stress, and helps you stay productive.
Last-minute issues and surprise tasks will continue to show up and there’s nothing you can do to control that.
But with a solid task management plan in place, you’ll be in a stronger position to deal with shifting priorities and the unexpected.
With a solid task management system, you’ll…
…be better equipped to handle the unexpected without being thrown off course and feeling ineffective.
…have more confidence that you’re choosing the right course of action.
…be able to pivot without missing, losing, or forgetting anything.
…stay in control of the tasks you’re NOT focused on when you have to switch gears.
…address surprises with clarity and certainty, knowing all your other tasks are under control.
After handling a new issue, you can quickly return to your other important tasks for the day—knowing that all of them are centralized in one place—without having to waste time to regroup, recover, “clean up,” or start over.
With a central, digital task system, you’ll know how to make the right decision when a new issue comes up. If it truly is the top priority of the moment, you’ll be ready to take care of it with confidence, knowing that you’re spending your time wisely without sacrificing productivity.
