Sometimes the most difficult thing to accomplish at work is work.  With telephone calls. Meetings, visitors, and faxes along with the deluge of mail, e-mail, and internal memos, it can be almost impossible to get anything done. Here are some tips to help you stay on track:

• Determine which times of day are your most productive and schedule your most challenging jobs for those times.
• Build flexibility into your schedule so you can adapt when things don't go according to schedule or when new opportunities arise.
• Split long tasks into smaller increments to allow you to fit them into available time, and divide a difficult job into several parts so you don't burn out before it is done.
• Estimate how long you need to finish a certain project and use this as a guide to help you manage your time.
• Vary your pace. No one can function at top speed all day. After a mentally taxing project, turn to something that is less demanding. Put small, enjoyable jobs in between tough ones.

-Shelley Cohen, RN, BSN, CEN