It’s another day. Beginning with the best intentions, you’ve mapped out that list of tasks to accomplish in your mind. Feeling optimistic, you tell yourself, “Today’s the day! I’m finally going to get all of this taken care of.” Perhaps you’re even fortunate enough to have a light schedule with no significant events. You can’t help but think, “I’m unstoppable today.”
You grab that cup of coffee, set the perfect playlist, and dive in. But after what seems like a few minutes, POOF! The day has flown by, and your goals remain unfinished. Despite working at full speed all day, the to-do list still looks as daunting as ever. Rather than reflecting on what went wrong and establishing preventative measures, you end the day feeling depleted and unaccomplished, but give yourself a pat on the back and promise, “Tomorrow, it is!”
Understanding the recurring factors that contribute to daily derailment and implementing strategies to keep your day on track is essential for long-term productivity and success. Let’s look at some of those factors and identify solutions so that you can reclaim your day.
As a busy case manager, how often have you calculated that with eight hours you can successfully process 30 pieces of mail, call six clients, report three new insurance claims, send 15 new medical record requests, put together a demand package, contest a Medicare lien, confirm balances for two settlement statements, and arrange a rental car for your client—all while managing incoming calls, emails, and requests? The math is definitely off here.
A primary and key reason for derailment is being overly ambitious about what can realistically be accomplished in a day. Without balancing daily responsibilities with specific, targeted tasks or projects, you inadvertently fall further behind due to a lack of consistent approaches to managing the workload.
Finding balance requires a new perspective. As Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” If the goal is to complete necessary tasks while maintaining high quality, you must find a way to allocate adequate time for each responsibility.
Let’s eliminate that crunch of completing a laundry list of items in one day and expand the timeline to a week. When you think about what needs to happen ‘that day’ and what needs to happen ‘by a certain time’, this can help you proportion your time more effectively. Start by making an outline of daily requirements, weekly requirements, and targeted projects or tasks to complete by week’s end:
Next, create an agenda for each day over the course of the week by combining 2-3 daily responsibilities with 2-3 additional tasks based on the amount of time needed for each. Limiting your objectives to 4-5 per day allows you to work proactively on planned tasks while reserving small time blocks each day to address unexpected demands, creating a consistent and manageable workflow.
You now have a master plan for the week, and you’re confident you can execute it. The next challenge is sticking to it without being redirected. This means communicating your agenda and outlining your availability and capacity for additional tasks.
You and your team are likely working toward the same goals, albeit at different times or paces. Sharing your daily and weekly goals with your team sets much needed expectations and boundaries in a very professional and practical manner. Informing your supervisor, attorney, or team members about your agenda communicates what you are working on, when tasks will be completed, and when you’ll be available for other items. This transparency helps to reduce interruptions, helps you stay in control of your time, and builds trust in the process.
Another effective method for setting expectations and boundaries is adopting a more collaborative approach to creating your weekly agenda. By involving your team in the planning process, you create an opportunity to openly discuss priorities and align on shared goals. This ensures everyone is on the same page and minimizes the chances of being asked to shift your focus unexpectedly. When priorities are established as a group, it promotes transparency, builds trust within the team, and helps reduce unnecessary disruptions. This kind of collaborative effort fosters a sense of ownership and accountability, as everyone has a clear understanding of what is expected and how their contributions fit into the bigger picture.
It happens. You find yourself in a variety of situations where you spend hours on a task or project, only to realize you may not have been properly equipped with the necessary training, tools, or resources to complete it properly or efficiently. Only now, you’ve put yourself even further behind in your work and are feeling the strain. It’s commendable to tackle tasks independently. It demonstrates a willingness to try, find answers and solutions autonomously, and show self-reliance in problem solving. Knowing when to seek help is admirable as well, and also essential. Often, valuable time is wasted when failing to recognize when it’s time to ask for help.
If you anticipate needing direction, assistance, or additional training for a particular undertaking, set the expectation beforehand that you may need assistance. Communicating that you will review the task to assess if you have the necessary tools, resources, knowledge, or experience to manage it, however, you will be reaching out as needed with questions or direction, which advises your team of the expectation that you may need help, while demonstrating your personal drive to first try to accomplish it independently with any available resources.
Don’t you just love that familiar ding or notification pop-up, urging you to check your messages or emails immediately? (*I jest.) You fall prey to the pull of instant gratification, of being continuously connected, of knowing what each message contains. This pull, however, leads you to prioritize curiosity over that of your pending priorities, resulting in a trip down the rabbit hole and labyrinth of misdirection as you “just really quick” handle it.
In today’s hyper-connected world, this tendency is so common but so counterproductive. Recognizing the frequency of these interruptions, redirection, and their impact is crucial to effective time management. While messages and emails require attention, the urgency of the content must be weighed against existing priorities.
Not to be misconstrued, I’m certainly not telling anyone not to check your messages. Instead, reserve immediate reply and response to high-priority level situations and allocate specific time blocks to respond to other, less urgent, communications. Setting multiple checkpoints throughout the day, specifically for message management, helps you stay on track with your daily agenda, allows you the time needed to address messages, handle more messages in less time, and sets reasonable expectations for your team around when they can expect a reply.
One of the joys of any workplace is camaraderie with co-workers. Taking time to chat, laugh, and support one another relieves stress, fosters collaboration, and strengthens team culture. This is why establishing boundaries with your teammates can be awkward.
Setting boundaries for uninterrupted work time is however essential for staying productive. Prevent spontaneous interruptions by communicating your availability to others. Inform those who frequently stop by to chat that you’re dedicating time to a specific project that day, are going to be hunkering down at your desk to focus and will catch up with them later. This is a friendly and appropriate approach. Be kind yet firm when conveying your need for focused work periods; your need for time and space is important.
By modeling this behavior, you’re helping yourself build healthier habits and improve your own well-being, and you’re simultaneously creating a more supportive and understanding environment for your peers. This encourages others to feel empowered to prioritize their needs and follow suit, fostering a culture where everyone can thrive both personally and professionally.
Sometimes, the day’s tasks and activities feel so busy and routine that distinguishing between being productive and derailed becomes difficult. Continuous communication, minimal downtime, and perceived multitasking can create a very false sense of accomplishment while resulting in unmet goals. If you struggle to pinpoint the factors derailing your day, practicing a daily mindfulness exercise can help. For the exercise:
Over time, this exercise reveals just how often your attention is diverted and the recurring trends that are derailing you from your objectives. Once identified, you can then take targeted steps to mitigate them or work with a supervisor or manager for help as appropriate.
Staying on track with your daily goals requires a proactive and balanced approach. By setting realistic expectations, improving communication, using the right tools, and minimizing distractions, you can take control of your productivity and regain confidence in your ability to meet objectives. Every day is an opportunity to refine your strategies, build better habits, and align your efforts with your priorities. Progress is about consistency, not perfection. Start small, stay mindful, and celebrate each accomplishment.
