by Virginia Allain

Created on: January 07, 2010

You know you're trying to do too much when your "To Do" list becomes a "To Do" folder full of lists. Your growing pile of papers, reminders, projects and phone messages threatens to cascade from your desk to the floor. The computer screen rebukes you with message flags, appointment reminders and highlighted messages waiting for attention. Here are ways to unload some of the work that's causing you so much stress.

When the boss gives you one more task to do, say "can you give me some priorities on my current projects?" Remind him or her that you have X project, Y project and Z project, so you need to know which one has the highest priority. Sometimes the boss forgets what you're working on and needs this reality check. He may reassign something to someone else so you can do your best on the top priority. Even if you still have all the assignments, now you'll know which one requires your most urgent attention.

Sometimes with deadlines looming and too many projects, you can ask the manager to hire temporary help. Give the manager your projected timeline for the amount of work so the need is clear to him.

Look around at your co-workers. Are there parts of your projects that fall into their territory? Move as many projects onto other workers' desks as you can. Be specific about what is needed from them to move the project along. Keep track of when you gave it to them, what you've asked them to do, and when you need it back, so the project doesn't bog down.  Use that time to clear out some work so you'll be ready for those projects.

Suggest to a co-worker that you both work on one of your tasks to finish it quickly and then team up on a task that the co-worker needs done. Sometimes two heads can move a project along that seemed like just too much for you alone. The co-worker may have been feeling overwhelmed as well.

Some ideas and projects are demands that you place on yourself. If these are your own ideas and aren't mandatory, move them to the back burner. Make a folder labeled "Future Projects" and put those in it. Park it in the file cabinet. No one will miss them and it will clear some space on your TO DO list.

With the "Future Projects" off your desk, and many projects farmed out to others, work quickly on some tasks that are close to being finished. Wrap those up and cross them off the TO DO list. You will get a feeling of momentum that you'll need to tackle larger projects. The technique provides only a temporary respite until the items work their way back to your desk. Block out some uninterrupted time to tackle a big project that's been looming over you. Getting major work done on that will ease the feeling of impending doom.

Break some projects into steps that seem more manageable. Postponing a project often means it seems overwhelming. Procrastinating will just make it worse. Once you see it as smaller tasks, you can work towards completing it.

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