When you receive an email or verbal request, you may have the impulse to leap instantly into action to accomplish the task. That would be fine unless your day is filled with people asking you to provide information, reports, solutions, etc. Then your day and attention become fragmented and unfocused. To solve that problem…
The next time someone–even your supervisor–asks you to do something, pause. Breathe in and out. Then smile and ask for the due date. You will often (maybe usually) find that an instant response is not needed. In those cases, you can prioritize and plan and remain in control of your day. Pleasing others doesn’t have to hurt you!
(This eTip brought to you by the Task/Project Management link in your Productivity Chain.)