Post written by Marlon Ribunal.
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Once in a while I come into this cycle where I am overwhelmed by lots of stuff coming from my work , personal life, and all the things in between. I’ve been busy practically the last four months – I mean, uber busy.

Every time I have to deal with this swamp, the first thing that I try to do is create the balance I need.

Here are some tips to help you create some balance that pave way for efficiency and productivity:

Eliminate

Unfortunately, when things start to shake and you’re losing some control over your stuff, it is quite inevitable that you throw some baggage out the window.

Now we’re talking about sacrificing some commitments. The best way to do this is list all your tasks and activities according to the level of priority you “feel” they’re worth.

Don’t Rationalize

If you noticed above, I said that you sort priorities according to what they are worth to you. Let your guts work in deciding. Over-rationalizing things can stress you up.

At this situations you can almost let common sense do its work. The less you think, the easier it becomes for you to handle the elimination part.

Audit Your Personal Activities

Examine how you spend your time on personal activities. Before even thinking about your priorities, let go of unimportant things first. Eliminate unimportant stuff. If you think that updating your Facebook profile a couple of times a day is important to you, chances are you still need to grow up.

Categorize Tasks

Limit the number of your categories to the least number. Two or three are more than enough for most people.The reason for this is to simplify all the processing that you need to do to accomplish your objectives. Make a list of your tasks under each category. Find ways to handle manage your lists more effectively.

I have 3 categories currently – Home/Family, Work, and School (I am on a 6-month training). I don’t have a general priorities for all my categories. I arrange my priorities from within their respective categories.

Be Wise With Time

Time is gold. It is foolish to waste it. There is no one-size-fits-all technique when it comes to time management. Like I said many times before, don’t throw much effort on time management. Let time worry itself.

Focus on doing your tasks and aim for momentum. Time is irrelevant when you are really into doing something. Work one thing at a time. If keeping time is really essential in what you are doing, have some flexibility. You cannot just stop in the middle of your momentum.

It’s Never A Matter Of Work Vs Family

If you know how to deal with things the way they should be handled, you’ll realize that efficiency and productivity is not a matter of choosing between work and family/personal.

One should complement the other. If you are dealing with your priorities in a way that puts both ends in opposing current, you’re doing it wrong.

These are some of the things to consider when you’re overwhelmed with priorities from all sides.

How do you handle your situation?

Photo courtesy of Cap n' Surly

pixel Overloaded By Work and Personal Commitments