How To Tame Your Task List: 5 Proven Ways To Do It (infographic)
Are you drowning in tasks and just can’t seem to keep up? Do you ever feel like you could work nonstop but still not make a dent in the list of things you need to get done? You are not alone.
Every day, someone at work is feeling overwhelmed by their massive list of tasks and feels like they’ll fall behind. The good news is that your large amount of tasks most likely means that your leader entrusts you with skills and know-how to get these assignments completed.
With a little time management and organization, you can start managing your office tasks instead of allowing them to manage you. Read on to discover five ways you can tame that task list and become more productive at work!
1. Prioritize and Define the Most Important Tasks
Productivity happens when prioritization is happening. At the beginning of each day, look over your list of assignments and determine which ones are the most pressing. When you can single out which tasks are most important and can then break it down into a simple daily “to-do” list, you’ll find the satisfaction of checking things off helps fuel your work energy. You’ll find yourself making more headway simply because you’ve restructured the way your task list looks.2. Use Technology In Your Favor
With all the apps, programs and software that are available today, you are guaranteed to find something that can help you automate reports and complete tasks quicker. Your web browser offers a host of extensions that can help you battle the day to day grind. Utilizing SaaS programs can help reduce manual labor and even create higher levels of employee engagement. For example, many companies are turning to gamification in the workplace to increase productivity and boost morale.3. Eliminate All Distractions
With any job also comes a variety of distractions that can keep you from working at your max performance. Did you know that it takes an average of 23 minutes for a worker to resume a task once an interruption has occurred? Interruptions can be a variety of things - from email notifications, text messages, chatty coworkers and so much more. Eliminating distractions can add time to your day and help you chip away at that ever-growing task list. Limit your email use, turn off your phone or even place a sign on near your desk that allows coworkers to know that you’re dialed in.4. Take Lunch Away From Your Desk
It’s been proven that when employees take a lunch away from their desk, they are more productive because it helps manage their time. When you take a moment to get away from your work environment and get away from the computer, you’ll find that the benefits of taking a lunch break far outweigh what you can do by working through it.5. Assign Due Dates and Hold Yourself To Them
A task without a due date is like having a destination without a set of directions: you know where you need to end up but you have no idea how to get there. Yes, a due date on a task increases the pressure but it also increases urgency. Without deadlines, assignments can be pushed farther back and eventually off the table slowing down task outcomes. If your tasks do have dates, assign yourself subtasks with dates so you can stay productive and start completing assignments earlier than expected.By implementing some of these strategies in your daily work, you’ll find your task list seeming less overwhelming and more manageable. Once you feel in control of your work, your quality of work will go up and you will become a task slaying machine!
