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Posted on: August 10, 2007

Pull Yourself Together

Completing work and having fun don’t always have to be at odds – especially once you get your life in order

By Bev Bennett
CTW Features

Another hour evaporates as you wander aimlessly on the Internet or watch yet another rerun of “Law & Order.”

It’s not as if you have nothing to do.

To the contrary, you have deadline assignments, a list of chores nagging at you or projects you’d love to tackle. Unfortunately, you’re so unproductive you can’t accomplish necessary tasks, let alone find time for things you enjoy.

Plowing through a to-do list is challenging. No one claims filing or house cleaning as a favorite pastime. However, you can complete your work and still have fun. First you need to decide what you really need to do, say organization experts.

“You have a desk piled up with stuff, dinner to cook, a report that has to be done. Too much to do and not enough time. Prioritize,” says Marsha Sims, operator of Sort-It-Out, Miami Lakes, Fla.

The key, she says, is not to do everything, but to tackle the most important things.

If you’re still overwhelmed it could be you’ve assigned yourself too much.

“Don’t overload your list. Make it manageable,” says Molly Gold, founder of GO MOM!, a family day-planner business, Raleigh, N.C.

Breaking up your chores into small chunks of time can help you accomplish what you need to do.

“Play a mind game with yourself,” Sims says. “Use a timer. Say you only have to work on these papers for 10 minutes. Then give yourself permission to stop.”

Even the most dreaded tasks can have some enjoyable element, she says. Find that element and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate.

“For example, I don’t like to file, but I don’t mind sorting out paper clips by color. That makes filing less painful,” she says.

If you consistently find that you’re not taking breaks for your own pursuits, make that part of your schedule, just as you do work, Gold says.

“You have to have the discipline to walk away from work so you have time to play,” she says.

Focus … Focus

If you’re frequently distracted, try these tips.

• Stay offline unless you need Internet resources.

• Post your work hours in your home office so you’re not disturbed. “People respect it when you allocate specific times for projects,” Gold says.

• Prevent colleagues from eating up your day. “Put stuff on your chair so people can’t sit down,” Sims says.

• Place a clock facing out on your desk. Office mates can see how much of your time they’re taking, Sims says.

Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"