10 Steps to cut out chaos

Let's face it, there’s always chaos at the office. Not enough hours in the day, too many priorities, never ending to-do lists, and colleagues and clients who don't respect your time.

THE BAD NEWS:

We can't control external factors. People knocking on our door, asking questions they can solve on their own, sending emails that are not relevant to us or are not clear... the list will go on for quite a while. You can't control other people's behaviors, language, and attitude.

BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS:

You can control your own chaos. Here is a 10 step process to:

• Help you create structure.
• Set boundaries to manage your time better.
• Protect yourself from the chaos that surrounds you.

Take the time to write down your responses to these questions. Reflect and decide if there is anything you would re-prioritize or change about how you manage your workload.

1. Imagine your IDEAL DAY.
2. Okay, NOW imagine your ideal WORK day!
3. Really! If you could be working on anything, what would it be and how much time would it take you to accomplish? Think BIG. This is an exercise in getting out of your known reality.
4. If you only had 2 hours a day to spend on work, what would you do?
5. If you only had 2 hours a week to spend on work, what would you do?
6. If you had to remove 4 out of 5 of your most time consuming activities what would they be and why?
7. What are 3 activities that you do to “fill” time and make you feel as though you are being productive?
8. Out of your colleagues and supervisors, who are the 3 people who contribute the MOST to you achieving your goals? Are you spending at least 70% of your time with them?
9. Out of your clients/vendors/customers, who are the top 3 that contribute to MOST of your frustration? Are you able to reset expectations with these partners or cut them out?
10. If there is only ONE thing you will accomplish today, what would give you the MOST satisfaction?
11. Based on your responses, create 1 or 2 goals for yourself. Ensure your goals are: 1) actionable; 2) have a deadline; and 3) are motivating to you.

Now, get started on creating your most productive, successful day!