Small tasks often come scattered throughout the day and possibly becomes the single most important enemy of productivity. Since these are work related we can’ t even ignore them. First instinct is to get everything done as soon as possible. Next comes the stress of how to get them done and there is not enough time.

Trying to do everything is like going to a buffet where your senses go ballistic and you start eating everything. In the end you not only feel like a big potato but feel a sense of dissatisfaction and wish you had tried some of that dessert or had eaten this instead of that.  Compare this to ordering a la carte where you know how much you can eat and you order just about enough to leave the restaurant feeling satisfied.

Managing and completing small tasks is much like ordering from an a la carte menu. Know what you want to eat, order and feel satisfied.

Know What You Want to Eat

Every morning make a list of the things you want to get done by the end of the day. You might list around 8-12 items .  Write these down anywhere. I normally use the Stickies on my mac.

Order

Go over the items and ask yourself - What is the minimum I need to accomplish so that I  will be satisfied and happy at the end of the day? Do I have time to get these done? On days that you have meetings or are out for some reason plan less.

Over-ordering (even by looking at so much food on the table) can kill your appetite or leave you feeling sick.

Satisfaction

Enjoy the process of getting tasks completed and delegate when necessary. I like checking-off tasks that I complete to give me some pleasure of achievement and help me to move forward.

It’s important to feel satisfied, happy and positive when leaving work in the evening and keeping the above points in mind might just achieve that.

Bon Appetite!

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 2:07 pm and is filed under Sahil's Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.