04/25/2008

Rowena Portch, Accessibility Advocate

If you are overwhelmed with the volume of tasks that clutter your To-do list, try these techniques to tame the task-list monster.

Applies to
Microsoft Office 2007 Microsoft Office 2003 Outlook 12

Why we get overwhelmed

When our task list grows exponentially, we often try to do too much without really accomplishing anything. Most of us who are easily overwhelmed are over-achievers in one capacity or another. Even if the chief reason for our overwhelm is ADHD, a learning impairment, or a combination of challenges, it's frustrating to watch today's to-do list become tomorrow's (and so on).

Because I have so much on my plate, it is easy for me to become overwhelmed. I work part-time as a columnist for Microsoft, but I also write freelance articles and novels, train service dogs, massage humans and horses, and still manage to care for four kids, two horses, three dogs, and a husband. My day often starts at 5 A.M. and ends around midnight. Whew!!

The problem with traditional tools

Let's face it, most "reminders" are really just black holes. You might be one of those people with a number of sticky notes posted in various places. You know the drill: you grow used to staring at them until they don't draw your attention anymore. Another common trap for reminders is writing them down on a napkin or the back of your hand. These techniques might work, providing you don't toss the napkin away or wash your hands. Notes that are placed in your pocket often get tossed in the washing machine or placed in a hidden location. You could record a voice message for yourself, but then you need to remember to listen to the recording and actually do the task. Alarms can be good, but are too often dismissed and forgotten.

The good news is, between Microsoft Office Outlook and your own mind, you've got all the tools that you need to manage your time. And you don't even have to attend a time-management class to learn how to use them.

Taming the task-list monster

When I've got too much to do, I don't know what to tackle first and what to put off. As a result, nothing gets done and the task-list monster rules my conscience. My first defense in taming the task-list monster is to devise a way to keep all my tasks recorded and organized.

Quieting the mind

I need to write down my list of things to do every night before bed. If I don't, I find that I get less sleep, and I am more distracted during the day. I dutifully record my tasks for the following day into my computer. I usually start out in Word — of course, you can input your tasks directly into Outlook. For those of us who have trouble thinking in a linear way, it is a relief to find all the tasks floating around in our heads (or scattered on pieces of paper or napkins) in just one place.

Schedule your tasks in Outlook

Now that you have documented all the tasks that have been cluttering your mind, you must schedule a time to complete those tasks. Outlook offers two handy tools to get that done: Tasks and Calendar.

Each tool is useful and has its advantages. Tasks offers more tracking options, and you can set start and end dates. You can even set reminders and have things flagged a certain color when they become overdue. Calendar, on the other hand, offers a convenient way to plan your day.

In Outlook Calendar, I block out the amount of time that I want to spend on my most important task, and then record the task in that block. I continue to schedule all my tasks in this manner, making sure that I allow enough time for each task.

Life does happen. If a task takes me only fifteen minutes to complete, I schedule a half hour. If the task takes a half hour, I schedule an hour. If I finish early, I get more break time. When you schedule twice as much time to finish a task, you build in a margin of error so helpful to us humans.

Dealing with distractions

How do you deal with tasks that require real concentration? If you're like me, you're desperate for any "shiny" interruption to help you procrastinate. You answer the phone when it rings. You chat with the grocer. You get lost on the Web. And your tasks go ignored.

Admitting this to myself is difficult but it means I know I need to dedicate "concentration" time for each task. So, when I have a task scheduled, I turn off my phone, shut down my messenger program, and turn off my Inbox notifications. It's amazing how much you can accomplish when you remove your most common distractions. You might be distracted by random thoughts, peering out of a window, or creative ideas that demand your attention. If you're finding you can't shake them, it might be helpful to take a moment to write down these thoughts, or work in a room with no windows. Whatever distracts you, try to remove it from your attention.

When I'm at home, the creatures there demand my attention. To remove this temptation to procrastinate, I often remove myself from the premises. I go to the local bakery where I can concentrate. Unfortunately, this place of refuge also has really good chocolate croissants. Consequently, exercise is now an important task on my calendar.

If I must work from home, I lovingly inform my family that I am working and that I will be with them at a specific time. For example, if my task is scheduled between 4 and 5 P.M., I let my family know that I am unavailable during those hours and that I am not to be disturbed. I find that if I give them a time frame, they tend to leave me alone.

Make sure that you set time aside for yourself

I cannot stress the importance of scheduling your own downtime. Everyone needs it. Personally, I must have at least two good hours to spend with my animals each day. So, from 4 to 6 P.M., nothing is scheduled except my time with the animals. If I have not completed the previous task, I stop my work on it and go outside. I'll explain what to do with those unfinished tasks in a moment.

There are days when decompression time has to wait. So, you'll need to find another two-hour slot for yourself . Too often, we give up our down time to accomplish all the things we have scheduled. Don't do it. If this happens too often, you might experience burn out, which is very difficult to bounce back from. I should know; I've hit that low point a few too many times.

When you complete a task

The best thing about this technique for organizing my time is that I can physically see progress. I also know how much time I spent on each task, and what I still need to accomplish.

When a task is complete, I type (DONE) at the end of the task name in my Calendar. If you use Tasks, you can click the Completed check box. This feels so good, I cannot wait to complete my next task. That's when working feels fun, and that is what it is all about.

When you don't complete a task

At the end of the day, I look at my calendar for that day. All tasks that were not completed (marked with DONE), must be moved to the next day. Those tasks now become the priority. If you scheduled your time appropriately, there should very few tasks that you must move over. If you find that you are moving more than two over every day, you are over-scheduling your day.

Tasks marks items in color to depict a missed deadline. The benefit of using Tasks is that you do not have to move the task to the next day; it remains on your task list until it is complete.

New tasks

Now that you're on your way to being ultra–organized, you might find that your schedule feels a lot more open. By relying on your calendar, you can easily determine a commitment date for your new task and avoid over-scheduling. If your plate is full, realistically, you cannot take on more work. You are not Superman or Wonder Woman; you are human, and you have your limits. The only skill you need to learn now is how to say, "No."

In summary

Now that you have all the details to become more efficient in your endeavors, you are on your way to developing a useful skill that can ease a bit of stress in your life. Stay focused, and give attention where it must be, even if it's on your own relaxation. Remember, the water in a river is stronger than the rocks it flows over, not by strength, but by perseverance. Use your tools, and you will defeat the task-list monster.

Contact me

If you have comments or suggestions for articles that you would find helpful, please send me an e-mail message at accessad@microsoft.com. I do monitor this mailbox each day and personally respond to your inquiries.

Read more articles by the Accessibility Advocate

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Introducing the Accessibility Advocate column

Making sense of HTML messages in Outlook

Become more efficient with accessibility tools

How to work with the visually impaired

Helpful feature in the spelling checker in Word 2007

Contribute an article

Each month, I publish an article from a contributing author. If you have something to share and want to see your name in the byline, send your article to accessad@microsoft.com

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About the author

Three years ago, I lost my sight to Retinitis Pigmentosa. Prior to that, I was a technical editor. Learning how to use a screen reader and a Braille display proved challenging enough — having to deal with non-accessible applications was unbearable. To remain productive, I had to learn how to use accessibility tools and write scripts to interact with applications that were not accessible. Tasks that used to take me only minutes to perform were taking hours. My productivity went down, along with my confidence and self esteem. As a result, I felt that people had to be educated about the importance of accessibility features in tools and applications. I volunteered to be a beta tester for SharePoint technologies, Microsoft Office, and third-party vendors of accessibility tools. These opportunities enabled me to offer feedback and help develop applications that everyone can use. Now, I want to share my experiences with other people through this column.

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