4 tips for juggling your work priorities

One thing we all experience as we climb the ladder, or as our organizations grow, is additional demands: new responsibilities, new projects, or sometimes even a new, concurrent role to perform in addition to our present role. As a result, it’s not unusual to find the need to change or juggle priorities. Here are a few tips to help you manage your priorities.

1. Set clear expectations for yourself and your supervisor.
   The most important action you can take when managing your priorities is to be clear and honest about your workload and the amount of effort it takes to get something done. It is critical that you understand your capabilities, and they are well understood by your superiors. Talk to your supervisor about the best route forward and draw up your own personal order of operations. Discuss what you believe is most time-critical. Start from there and evaluate as you work through it.
2. Tackle your goals one step at a time.
   Attempting to get multiple tasks done at once on your own will only overwhelm you. I find that when I am feeling overloaded, it is hard to get any task or project started at all. The best thing you can do is focus on one objective at a time. Complete that objective then move on. You will be surprised at how much momentum you can build from completing one simple task!
3. Delegate when needed.
   We can never do it alone! Do not be afraid to find a team member who is willing to give you a hand. Talk to your supervisor about handing them some of your responsibilities. Chances are if they are a driven team member, they will be happy to help out. In the end, everyone wins.
4. Take advantage of slow days to get the little things done.
   It is difficult to get to the little things when you are constantly bombarded by priority #1.  Plan ahead when you know there will be a slower day coming up. These are the best days to knock out all of the little things you can never seem to get done. The next day you will feel very refreshed.

When you find yourself stuck and wondering how to navigate your list of projects, just take a step back and think about these four tips to help you manage your priorities.