1. Write Down What’s Important
One tip I like is to have three of your most important objectives for the year on a visual, a little poster outlining: Is it about this, this, or this? Those three things are behind my computer monitor, so I can always ask, “Does this advance one of my three?” Revisit your objectives and connect to what matters most.
Full video: How to Manage Your Time
2. Establish Boundaries
When someone approaches you with a task you know isn’t the best use of your time, or at least not right now, avoid simply saying “No!” While we support setting boundaries, it’s important to establish and communicate them in an effective manner that makes sense. What are your options? Give them a not worth it, a not yet, a not me, a not all of it, or a not unless. These responses allow you to set boundaries while providing more context and leaving room for discussion or alternatives.
Full video: 5 Different Ways to Say No
3. Embrace Empathy
Greater empathy leads to less drama. This might sound counterintuitive—you might think, “If I make space for emotions, won’t I invite drama, gossip, and whining?” Actually, the opposite is true. Emotions turn into drama when they lack a healthy outlet, when people enable them without working through them. When we can empathize and understand emotions while helping someone work through them, we get less drama.
Full video: Workplace Empathy
4. Stay Organized
If you’re feeling low on energy or want to maintain your energy levels, take time to declutter. We often don’t realize the effect clutter has on our brains, but it does. Find at least one safe, clutter-free space. You may have other areas in your house or at the office that you haven’t organized yet, but even having a small, tidy area can make a difference. For example, if you can turn one way at your desk and have the clutter behind you, while facing a clean, sterile space, it can really help.
Full video: 7 Things That Drain Your Energy
5. Have a Motor Release
It is really valuable to have a motor release when you are feeling low energy. This is something you can do in the middle of a meeting. My favorite motor release is Silly Putty. A low-level motor activity like squeezing Silly Putty, a stress ball, or whatever it is can really help you pay attention.
Full video: How to Boost Your Energy Levels
6. Focus
When facing competing priorities, the most important step is to focus. In such situations, there’s a tendency to attempt everything simultaneously, leading to a frazzled state. As your mental load increases, your productivity often decreases. So the best thing you can do when confronted with multiple tasks—be it 3, 6, or 10—is to do one with ruthless focus.
Full video: How to Handle Competing Priorities
7. Create Time to Think
“Focus and Flow” is my favorite time of the week. It’s when I can actually get my work done. Whether preparing an output report for a client or writing my next blog post, I need uninterrupted think time and dedicated work periods. I like to have at least two think-time sessions per week, each lasting about three hours, where I can engage in focused writing.
Full video: How to Manage Your Time
8. Prune Your Calendar
Prune your calendar. Open up your calendar, look at what’s there, and figure out what you can delete or delegate to somebody else. Consider where you can reduce your involvement in meetings; perhaps say, “I’m going to come for the first half hour, but not the whole thing.” Are there voluntary commitments you’ve made: are they still a great use of your time, or are they draining your energy? Try to prune back what’s in your calendar as much as possible before you start adding more things.
Full video: How to Manage Your Time
9. Be Efficient
If you want to work efficiently and effectively:
- Make sure you go into meetings prepared.
- Streamline your communications with your colleagues.
- Shut down gossip.
- Try and stick to one task at a time.
- If something is just a throughput document, make it cheap and cheerful!
Full video: How to Waste Time at Work
10. Gain Momentum
Choose a task that’s manageable enough for you to imagine completing. Pick one thing off your to-do list and just start with small bits to build momentum. This initial task can be something very simple and very silly. For example, “I’m going to read 10 emails and just decide which are the three I must respond to.” You don’t even have to respond, but just starting to create some momentum will be extremely valuable.
Full post: 10 Helpful Things To Do When You’re Overwhelmed
Practical Advice About How to Prioritize Your Workload