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1. Addiction
   No matter how much we complain about it there can be a great feeling of “importance” gained by working at the “eye of the storm.”
   
2. Fear
   We may be afraid that if we don’t keep working this way that things will all fall apart.
   
3. No Thinking
   We don’t have to stop and think about the more complex challenges in our work if we’re always focused on the immediate task at hand. In fact, we don’t have to think at all.

1. Constant and high stress
   
2. Get to the urgent tasks, but not necessarily the important ones.
   
3. Events control your day rather than you,

1. Lower your stress level
   
2. Increase control over your day.
   
3. Make progress on longer-term important, but not immediate, goals (like managing your career).

1. Make the Commitment
   Don’t just talk about it. Do it. Make it a goal. Make sure you’re not fooling yourself and paying lip service to changing.
   
2. Inventory & Rate Your Tasks
   Make a list of all your tasks (including the ones you should be doing, but aren’t) rate them from 1 to 3 with 1 being high priority, 2 being middle and 3 is low.
   
3. Set Aside Time for High Priority Items
   Make sure you focus your most productive time of the day on the “1” items, rather than the urgent “3’s.”
   
4. Clear off Your Desk at Day’s End
   Clear off your desktop and set out the top “#1” item for tomorrow.
   
5. Email Yourself a Rated Task List for Tomorrow
   Check off the completed items, add in any new ones, carry over the one’s that aren’t complete and send the prioritized list to yourself as an email. Print it out in the morning and use it as your guide.

• Work at Home
  See if you can work from home one day a week where there are fewer fires to put out. Finally, set up a “do not disturb” hour for yourself during your most productive time of the day.

®2004 All rights reserved. Gregory A. Ketchum, Ph.D.