Five Office Solutions for a Hectic Schedule
By Leslie Radford
Key Takeaways
Make a Schedule
Work in Blocks
Manage Tasks
Set Boundaries
You get to the office with every intention of slaying the day. You make your to-do list, and get to work on the first few items.
But a couple hours in, the interruptions start coming and the next thing you know it’s almost quitting time and you somehow have more things on your to-do list than when you started.
Consider these tips to calming your hectic day:
Schedule Your Week in Advance
Plan your week before it gets here. Know what appointments you have and when. Review your week the day before it starts so you know what needs to get done and there are fewer surprises.
Break Your Work Day into Smaller Blocks
By breaking up your workday into smaller blocks that allow you to be a parent, a solo-preneur, and have self-care time, you have flexibility to work your schedule that fits your lifestyle, and get it all done.
Task Management
Task management software can make tracking progress on essential tasks easier. There are so many to choose from. Do your research and pick one that works for you. Or the old-school to-do list can be prioritized in to manageable tasks. Only place a few important things to accomplish for the day. Once you complete those, you can add new ones. Don’t overwhelm yourself.
The Pomodoro Method
The Pomodoro Method helps you commit to one task for a manageable amount of time, about 25 minutes. Studies have shown that most people can only focus on one task with a high level of performance for an average of 45-50 minutes. By multi-tasking, we are actually taking longer to complete a task and the quality of work is poorer. Get a cute kitchen timer or whip out the timer on your phone.
Set Clear Boundaries
All those interruptions you receive may be because you allow them to happen. It’s okay to say “no” every once in a while. People will understand that you have certain blocks of time that you need to work and certain blocks of time that you can attend to them.
