- Put everything you need to deal with (could be work, household or fun) in your in-tray. If there is no paperwork, write a note for it.
- Go through each item and bin or file anything that doesn't need action, delegate where possible and deal at once with anything that will take less than two minutes to do.
- Put everything else on an 'actions' list. Write time sensitive actions (those that have a deadline) in your diary.
- For jobs with multiple parts, set up a project folder and put one task from it on your 'actions' list.
- Review the list daily.
Stop putting things off
- Instead of setting yourself unrealistic targets, aim to do no more than 30 minutes of work at a time.
- Schedule sleep, meals, leisure and appointments in your diary and don't feel guilty about enjoying that time.
- Don't schedule in work - it just creates stress. Only add it in after you have completed it, so you can record what you have achieved.
- Set a reverse calendar. Think back from the goal (a party, a wedding, an ambition) and set deadlines to the present.
From The Now Habit by Neil Fiore
[Both in a feature on self help books in Good Housekeeping July 2013]
