Ever had one of those days where tasks just keep piling and piling and piling and you’d rather stab yourself in the face with a butter knife than even attempt to sort through all of them? You know, the days when a million different people are asking you to do a million different things and you don’t even know where to start so you just keep taking bathroom breaks in order to avoid the inevitable mound of work that’s piling up?

I have. It sucks. But, there is a solution.

Prioritize.

Prioritizing your work is critical to successfully completing all your tasks (without ripping all of your hair out).

I still have the same amount of tasks – how does prioritizing help?

First, if you don’t prioritize and you’re trying to do too many things at once, the quality of each individual task will suffer. If you determine which tasks are most important/timely/necessary and complete them first, you’re able to truly focus on what you’re doing and give each individual task the attention it deserves.

When you separate out individual tasks and work on them until they are completed, you’re instantly rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment. You’ve completed one task – on to the next.

Ok, I’m convinced. But, where do I start?

There are several ways to organize out your priorities. Here are a few I suggest:

Make a list – If you write out each task you need to complete, you’re more likely to go through the list and check them off along the way. You can put the timely/crucial tasks at the top. Don’t move on to the next task until the one before it is crossed off (and it feels damn good to cross off that list).

Make a schedule – Decide what tasks need to be completed first, and block out time for them. Sometimes, I even put tasks in my Google Calendar. That way, I appear to be “unavailable” and should not be disturbed.

Turn off all distractions – After you’ve made your schedule, stick to it. Turn off your chat, close your email tab, turn off your music, shut down your social media outlets, and focus. Your task should be the only program open on your computer. If you truly focus and remain uninterrupted, you’ll complete tasks more efficiently and thoroughly.

Say “no” when you can – The biggest, most important lesson to be learned when prioritizing is to say “no.” This is the most difficult task, but it’s necessary for you to stay focused on what is most important. If you can’t say “no,” figure out how to delegate appropriately.

How to I decide what is most important?

It may seem like all of your tasks are of equal importance. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll try to accomplish the “little,” easy tasks first, just to get them out of the way. That’s not necessarily the best method.

Consider time – Be realistic – everyone wants everything done immediately. It’s just not possible. Ask yourself these questions: What needs to get done this morning? What needs to get done today? What can wait until tomorrow? Everything may be important, but determine what is important now?

Consider people – Things your boss specifically asks you to do are probably more important than making copies for someone else. Ask yourself these questions: Who’s waiting on you? Are you holding other people up from completing their tasks? What’s the bigger picture and who is involved? How does this affect you and your job?

Don’t list everything – It’s not necessary to list every single thing you have to do in one day. Forget the mundane and just worry about prioritizing what’s crucial. You’ll accomplish the mundane tasks in between. Use the Pareto Principle: 20 percent of your activities give you 80 percent of the value. Focus on the high impact tasks and do what gives you the most value.