How to Get Things Done When Your Schedule Is Out of Control

How to Get Things Done When Your Schedule Is Out of Control

The good news is that science has proven ways to help you take back control, even when your schedule seems impossible. While you might not control every meeting or deadline, you can control how you think, what you focus on, and how you respond to stress.

• 1. Focus Only on What You Can Control

  Stop worrying about things outside your power. This idea comes from ancient philosophy and modern psychology research. When we worry about things we can’t change, we feel helpless and anxious.

  Here’s what you can’t control:

  1. Your boss’s last-minute requests

  2. Emergency meetings

  3. Other people’s schedules

  4. Company-wide changes

  Here’s what you can control:

  1. How you prepare for meetings

  2. Your response to interruptions

  3. Where you put your attention

  4. How you communicate your priorities

  Try this: When you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself: “Can I control this?” If not, let it go. If yes, focus your energy there.

• 2. Pick One Important Thing Each Day

  Time management experts call this your “daily highlight.” Without a clear priority, you’ll just react to whatever seems most urgent – emails, phone calls, or interruptions.

  The strategy: Every morning, choose one main task that would make your day successful. This isn’t your only job for the day, but it’s the most important one.

  Example: “My main goal today is to finish the quarterly report” or “Today I will prepare for tomorrow’s client presentation.”

  When you have a free 20 minutes, you’ll know exactly what to work on instead of checking social media or answering random emails.

• 3. Put Your Important Tasks on Your Calendar

  This productivity tip is called “time blocking” or “timeboxing.” Think of your priorities like meetings with yourself.

  Here’s how:

  Look at your calendar and find any free time (even 15 minutes)

  Write your important task in that time slot

  Treat it like a real meeting – don’t move it unless there’s a true emergency

  Why this works: Your calendar shows what you must do. The empty spaces show what you choose to do. If you don’t plan those empty spaces, you’ll waste them on busy work.

• 4. Handle Small Tasks Right Away

  This comes from the famous “Getting Things Done” method. The rule is simple: If something takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediately.

  This prevents small tasks from piling up into a huge, overwhelming list. Answer that quick email now. File that document right away. Make that short phone call today.

  For bigger tasks, ask yourself: “Do I have the energy for this right now?” Do hard work when you feel fresh (usually mornings) and save easy tasks for when you’re tired.

• 5. Talk to Your Boss About Priorities

  This comes from the famous “Getting Things Done” method. The rule is simple: If something takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediately.

  This prevents small tasks from piling up into a huge, overwhelming list. Answer that quick email now. File that document right away. Make that short phone call today.

  For bigger tasks, ask yourself: “Do I have the energy for this right now?” Do hard work when you feel fresh (usually mornings) and save easy tasks for when you’re tired.

• 6. Make Good Use of Small Chunks of Time

  Research shows that using short periods of time well can lead to big improvements over weeks and months.

  Create a “10-minute task list” for times when you’re waiting for a meeting to start or have a small gap in your schedule:

  1. Approve expense reports

  2. Send thank-you emails

  3. Organize your desk

  4. Review tomorrow’s schedule

  5. Delete old files