Three Quick Tips to Take the Fright Out of your Task List

1. Prioritize. Have a “to-do” list that’s 10 pages long? It’s time to take a second and prioritize. Start small and pick the top three tasks you feel are of greatest priority for that day and focus your efforts on those. It is important to remember that when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.

2. Delegate. So you prioritized your tasks but seem to have way more than three high priority items for the day. Make the decision to delegate and get something into someone else’s hands. A little hesitant about relinquishing control for fear the task may not be completed to the degree you intended?

Be clear with the individual or individuals you are delegating to in regard to the task and expectations that come with. Have the person repeat back to you what they thought they heard you say so everyone is on the same page. Be specific about any deadlines involved and ask for updates on progress.

3. Just Say No. Make a point to stop overpromising and in turn you will stop overloading. You’re not a robot. You are human, and as much as we would like to create more time in a day, we can’t. We generally want to help people when they request something of us, however, we need to keep in mind that sometimes, it is ok to say, “no.” “No” is in fact a complete sentence. See what you can eliminate from your list. Decide enough is enough and delete low value tasks.

Feel better already? We bet you will!