Are you a little bit behind?
We all need to catch up from time-to-time.
The trick it to recover before it is too late.
Today is a good day to regroup.
Getting Out From Underneath It All
Sometimes our obligations, tasks, paperwork, and email pile up faster that we can deal with them.
We are so busy trying to catch up with our todos, that we don’t have time deal with new items.
Sound familiar?
“We need time off from work, so that we can catch up with our work.”
If you are overloaded, it is time to regroup.
You need to dedicate some time to catching up before disaster happens.
Because at some point, it will catch up to you.
Do You Need a Regroup Day?
It’s time to regroup. And today is a good day to do that.
After all, nothing new is getting done right now, we are just treading water.
Let’s deal with that backlog. Let’s stop digging that hole even deeper.
Here are some tips to get the most of your Regroup Day:
- Clean That Desk – A clean workspace is key to being productive, and doubly so when you are trying to get back-on-track. Start by cleaning up your desk. Dispose of anything that doesn’t have a future value. Collect things that need to be addressed.
- Shut The Door – Don’t be afraid to get some peace and quiet for your regrouping effort. Close that office door, eliminate interruptions, and get some alone time.
- Tame That Todo List – One of the first steps in regrouping it to get your todos under control. You need to be aware of your most pressing obligations. Don’t be tempted to start with the oldest tasks, thinking that they need the most attention. Instead, begin with the highest priority items.
- Nuke Your Email – Email is one of the top things that people fail behind on. Many declare “email bankruptcy” on a regular basis. Some go as far as to publicly announce it. This drastic purge usually leads to more problems than it solves. Instead, get ruthless with your email. Delete. Archive. Respond where necessary.
- Catch Up On Phone Calls – What is your time management reputation saying about you if you don’t get back to people? Return those calls ASAP. Yet, consider that not all calls need a callback. Some are better answered with an email or text message, thus avoiding a lengthy conversation over a simple answer.
- Check the Calendar – When was the last time you looked at your calendar? And not just for today. Regroup by looking at your calendar at least 2 weeks out. Plan your days and weeks. Make appointments for your work where needed. Even better, plan at least a month out.
- Eliminate the Miscellaneous and Unimportant – If you are going to catch up on your workload, chances are that you will not be able to do everything. You may have to let a few things drop. Often, many of things that you thought you had to do weren’t necessary in the first place. Disregard the unimportant and you will quickly eliminate much of your backlog.
- Rededicate Yourself – You got yourself here and you don’t want to be back soon. You need to rededicate yourself to staying on top of your work, both professionally and personally. Setup regular checkpoints to review your workload before it becomes a backlog again.
Catch Up to Now
Deal with the pileup, so that you can deal with the now.
Not being under the stress of your backlog will give you new energy and purpose.
Regroup today, and get back on top of your work.
How do you regroup when you are behind?
It’s better to have these regularly as maintenance than to have it forced on you in a crisis situation. I think a good way to regroup is to remember my higher-order goals and the reason why I do what I do in the first place. It reinvigorates me. Also, I’ve found that cleaning my desk – and my office in general – is a very helpful way to regroup. It’s amazing the psychological impact that has on me.
It’s better to have these regularly as maintenance than to have it forced on you in a crisis situation. I think a good way to regroup is to remember my higher-order goals and the reason why I do what I do in the first place. It reinvigorates me. Also, I’ve found that cleaning my desk – and my office in general – is a very helpful way to regroup. It’s amazing the psychological impact that has on me.
@Loren Pinilis Loren, absolutely agree.
It is much better to have regular re-group sessions than to wait until your life (or business) is in a crisis. Great thought!
@meg_jarrell Good morning, Meg! Hope you have a GREAT Friday!
@meg_jarrell Good morning, Meg! Hope you have a GREAT Friday!
Regrouping – important topic!
I have reserved Sundays as my regrouping day of the week.
Cheers,
Timo
Regrouping – important topic!
I have reserved Sundays as my regrouping day of the week.
Cheers,
Timo
@timokiander Hey Timo,
I admire you for sticking to a schedule like that – I tend to go more with the flow. When I see that I need to regroup, I do it. What tends to happen though is that I get more out of balance because I don’t regularly clean up (my desk, my to-dos, etc.) like Craig suggests.Cheers,Matt
@Matttanguay@timokiander Yeah … it takes some practice. But once you have been doing that couple of times, it becomes a habit.
Cheers,
Timo
@timokiander You are right – it can fairly easily become a habit 🙂
Hey Craig,
It sure feels good to tie up the loose ends, and clean up our to-do lists. I regularly get overwhelmed with things to do, ideas, new projects. Thankfully my bi-weekly coaching sessions keep me on track!
I think, though, that as long as you focus on what’s most important, always and right now, then you’re being the most productive possible.
Regards,
Matt
http://www.FluentBrain.com
Hey Craig,
It sure feels good to tie up the loose ends, and clean up our to-do lists. I regularly get overwhelmed with things to do, ideas, new projects. Thankfully my bi-weekly coaching sessions keep me on track!
I think, though, that as long as you focus on what’s most important, always and right now, then you’re being the most productive possible.
Regards,
Matt
http://www.FluentBrain.com
@timokiander Hey Timo,
I admire you for sticking to a schedule like that – I tend to go more with the flow. When I see that I need to regroup, I do it. What tends to happen though is that I get more out of balance because I don’t regularly clean up (my desk, my to-dos, etc.) like Craig suggests.Cheers,Matt
@Matttanguay@timokiander Yeah … it takes some practice. But once you have been doing that couple of times, it becomes a habit.
Cheers,
Timo
@timokiander You are right – it can fairly easily become a habit 🙂
@Loren Pinilis Loren, absolutely agree.
It is much better to have regular re-group sessions than to wait until your life (or business) is in a crisis. Great thought!