Get rid of the clutter

Use a daily to-do list to get rid of the clutter.  All of us at one time or another go through stages where there just seems to be too much work piled up on our desks or on the job, and it is usually to do with administrative tasks – the type of thing that takes us away from the things we like doing.  And these things have a tendency to pile up.

So when that happens this is what I do.  Every morning I make a list of all the things that I would like to clear up that day.  Then I go through and prioritise the list.  I label numbers 1 – 5 in red so that they stand out and then change to another colour for the rest of them.  Now what that tells me is the most important things I need to do that day. 

I keep the list in front of me all day to remind me of that things that need to be done.  But instead of having a great list of 10, 20 or 30 items I now have only five that I need to get through.  One by one I cross them off and then the next day I do the same, and keep on doing that until the work load comes under control.

This system works for me and I know it works for other people.  And in reality the completion of those tasks takes less than an hour out of your day, and before you know it all the clutter is gone and you are back in control.  And by the way, don’t just leave those lists for the insignificant clutter.  You can also use that approach to set priorities for your main work load.  Try it, it will make a difference.