Do you feel that there should be more than 24 hours in day? Are you trying to cram in as much as you can into each day?

At times, I do feel overwhelmed by the amount of tasks that need to be completed, both at work and at home.

Here are 10 guidelines to helping you cope with information overload and being too busy:

1. Avoid people that gossip. I can’t stress this enough. I’ve mentioned it before in quite a few posts and this will “always” end you up in hot water and wasting time.
2. If you’re able to relocate your desk, do so. You don’t want to be situated in a high traffic area and constantly get disturbed.
3. You know that you’re a hard worker (let’s hope this is true), so don’t compare yourself to others. You know that you can get the job done right – the first time and you will only cause more stress to yourself if you think of how quickly Bob is getting his work done on the other end of the office.
4. If a client needs help, ask yourself if you are able to handle it. If you don’t have all of the information you need or don’t have the authority to handle such a request, ask someone for help or pass it on to a person that has the authority. The client might even surprise you with asking you for help on your skills.
5. If you’re not sure of how to go about helping a client, ask someone who knows.
6. If a client is asking you to do something that you or someone else has already done, let them know. You can always retrieve the project from your files or the person who handled this client’s request.
7. If you are busy with a task and someone calls you, try to end your phone calls quickly. Let the person on the other end of the phone know why you are busy and do it in a professional manner.
8. Try to organize your desk and files according to what works for you. Having a messy, disorganized desk will only make you spend more time on finding things. Organizing your desk only takes a few minutes each day. Imagine how much time you can save!
9. Prioritize your day and create a list of tasks. Number them from most important to least. Then check each one off as you complete them.
10. Don’t multi-task, unless it’s absolutely necessary. Your mind will be frazzled at doing too many things at once. You will accomplish more in a shorter period of time if you handle one task after another.

Remember, there are only 24 hours in a day and usually 8 of those you spend at work. Try to follow these 10 simple rules and your productivity will help you soar to new heights.

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Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!