How to Manage Multiple Deadlines

If you're in a job that requires working with a lot of deadlines, it can be difficult to keep up with due dates, especially when the work load gets high. The most important thing to ease stress, manage time effectively and complete work on time is to keep your work well organized. There are many tools for doing this, and you'll want to choose the ones that work best for you.

Things You'll Need

• Calendar
• Notification software
• Dry-erase board
• Sticky notes
• Pen
• Paper

Instructions

1. Write it in your calendar. Every time you become aware of an important date, write it down immediately. Keep a calendar or planner with you at all times for this purpose.

2. Set up notifications. If you use a program like Microsoft Office, you can set up reminders in the Calendar and Tasks functions. This will help you remember important dates and times. If a deadline requires several stages of work, set up several notifications so that you can complete sections of the work in a manageable period before the actual deadline.

3. Keep a dry-erase board in your workspace. This is also useful so that others can track where you are on a project. Simply erase items on your to-do list or dry-erase calendar as you complete them.

4. Use sticky notes. Although it's possible to overdo it, these are helpful for small tasks. You can keep the sticky note in your field of vision as a reminder.

5. Write several to-do lists. You should have one for immediate tasks and one for long-range planning. For each project deadline, break up the project into smaller manageable deadlines.

6. Ask for help. If you have trouble juggling your many tasks, consider the idea that you simply have too many. Asking for help is not a weakness. Be sure to return the favor if others step in to help you.

7. Consider the time you have to work on a project. If it is late in the day and your motivation is draining, take on a small part of the project that you can finish before you leave for the day. Tying up some loose ends will make the project more manageable.

Tips & Warnings

• Know the importance of each deadline. If there are some projects for which you can miss the deadlines without causing a disaster, set them aside for more important and timely projects.

• Don't take on more work than you can handle if given the choice. The better you are at managing your time, the better you will become at estimating your work threshold. Work within your limits.