4Knowing What to Do Next: Triage
Put yourself in this scenario.
It is Tuesday morning at 8:00 a.m., you just clocked in for the day and have a hot cup of coffee in hand. You sit down at your desk, and you realize a storm is brewing. There is a mountain of work to do.
Your email inbox is overflowing with messages, your phone is already blowing up with texts and calls, your calendar is overbooked, and there is a line at your door of customers, coworkers, and comanagers who need to talk to you.
What are you going to do next? How do you make that decision? You have a lot to do, and this is not a new scenario. You are a busy person and frequently find yourself flooded with more stuff than anyone could manage at one time, let alone a single day, week, or month.
The work just never ends. Your mind becomes clogged with questions that are devoid of clear answers.
- What is my next best move?
- What is my most important priority?
- What needs my attention right now?
- What can I let go of?
- What can I postpone?
- What can I eliminate forever?
- How can I not drown in this sea of pandemonium?
Fortunately, you do have many options—some are better than others, but something has to be done to address these repeated chaotic conditions.
- Do nothing. Freeze. Check Facebook. Avoid the work altogether. Hope someone else solves the chaos for you.
- Pick something at random and go. Get started immediately so that you feel accomplished by checking tasks off your to‐do list.
- Let your habits kick in. Do whatever you ...
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