How to Stop Overloading Your Workday

Spend only as much time on decisions, tasks, and activities as they are worth.

The key is to identify low-value operations or any type of work that doesn’t advance your main work objectives. These tasks are usually the easy and comforting ones, like reorganizing your workspace, because they require little or no thought at all. 

To do this, you will need to take a step back and evaluate how you spend your time on a daily basis. Each activity should be evaluated to see if it is adding value to your main work responsibilities. 

Learning how to say no can be a tough skill to acquire. No one wants to upset or disappoint colleagues and bosses, or worse, turn down crucial career opportunities.

1. Assess the ask. Ask questions to get critical details about the request, determine the costs and benefits, and to clarify any details that might seem fuzzy.
2. Give a well-reasoned, thoughtful, and well-delivered no. A bad no happens when you haven’t properly assessed the request, let personal biases influence your decision or simply say no because you are overcommitted to other things.
3. Give an effective yes if no is not the answer.