More Tasks and Less Time

Large Tasks - Ever wondered why some days you can complete ten items on your
list and the next day you are still stuck on the first item after six hours. It could be
that the task that you did not complete after six hours is very large, or it could be that
there were many distractions or disruptions on that day. Either way, you aren’t going
to accomplish much on that day.

Larger Tasks - Sometimes you will have tasks that are so large they require a lot of
time. Whenever possible, those tasks should be divided into smaller parts that can be
worked on for several days. For example, if the deadline for a large task is only a week
away, you could divide it up into four or five parts and still meet your deadline. This
would allow you to have much more time each day for the many smaller tasks that
are also important.

Phone Calls and Emails - While you are working on your lists, work goes on. You
will have phone calls to deal with and emails to answer. You can’t ignore them but you
can create a better environment in which to handle them. Here are some things to
try:

Uninterrupted Time - Set aside a time of day to work without interruptions.
For example, try setting aside an hour before lunch and one hour after lunch.
This will give you two hours of uninterrupted time to work on your list of tasks.
Set your phone so the calls are forwarded to your voice mail starting at 11 a.m.
until 2 p.m. Ignore emails during this time also. At 2 p.m., listen to all your
messages and answer those that require a response. Call at your convenience
and keep the call short. Check and answer those emails that require attention.
Most of the time this can be completed in about an hour and then you could
spend the remaining time working on your tasks.
No Answer Time - An option is to not answer the phone or emails from 9:30
a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Then spend 30 minutes answering calls to those who go to
lunch late, and another 30 minutes after lunch to those who go to lunch early. If
you know that someone who called you is a talker, call right before lunch and he
or she will probably make the call short being on the way to lunch.
Brevity - Keep calls and emails brief and to the point. Save the chitchat for
after work when you are not working on your prioritized tasks.
Take Command - There is no need to be rude but you must take command
of your time. There are people who either have little to do or simply don’t care
about finishing things on time. These people will eat up hours of your day if you
allow it. It is important to state that you have a schedule and intend to meet it.