Have you ever had a big jumble in your brain of all of the stuff you needed to do but couldn’t think straight or decide what to do first?  I’ve felt like that before and it has caused me to just start jumping around from task to task like a jumping bean instead of actually getting anything done.  When our brains are not under stress they can think clearly and logically and we function well.  When we are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, our brain defaults to our “feeling” brain which takes control of our behavior.  If we don’t have good habits in place, then that behavior usually isn’t productive.

So, what’s a solution?  Whenever I feel stressed and like I’m zigzagging around, I know it’s time to sit down and write out a list and organize my thoughts.  I like to physically write the list vs. typing it out.   Now, this shouldn’t be a 100 item list, but the immediate things that need to get done in the next day or so.  There’s something about a list that gives me focus as well as a sense of accomplishment as I cross items off of the list.

After you brainstorm your list, you can then start prioritizing.  You should tackle these tasks first:

1. Tasks that have a due date or deadline
2. Tasks that have a financial consequence associated with them
3. Tasks that need to be completed so someone else can get their tasks done

So, when you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a few minutes to jot down what you need to do, cross off what you don’t and prioritize what you do!  For more tips on time management for your office, please read more here.

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Tags: DIY organization, Home Organization, Home Organization Blog, list, office, organize, prioritize, tasks, time management