You are staring at the seemingly endless to-do list and realize it is just too much work for you to get done. The awful feeling makes you either throw up or burst into tears like a kid.
There is no doubt that you are all about prioritizing, know hacks for productivity, and tricks to help you tackle those tasks strategically. However, this time is different. You realized the brutal truth that there is absolutely no way that you will be able to get done all of the things on your to-do list on time. There is no magic that can save you but here is a helpful tip that can help you out.
Take a look at some realistic solution if you just realized you cannot accomplish doing everything on that to-do list you are holding.
Get something off your plate
In your situation, the best way to get out of it is to get some of the tasks out of your plate. Perhaps you are wondering won’t that make you look incapable and the concern is very understandable. However, you do not want to totally miss your deadline or turn in a sloppy project in the last minute.
Moving something off your plate is not about not completing that tasks altogether. You just need to take few things off from your immediate to-do list. How about asking a colleague to cover you for some tasks? Or requesting a deadline extension? Maybe you can approach your manager about your overwhelming workload and how you need help in prioritizing few things.
While asking a colleague for help, make sure you check on their schedule. Ask if they are free to take over some of the work for you. Let them know that you will appreciate their help and will mention this to the boss so that they get necessary credit on the project that they helped you out with. Offer to help them back in the future.
While requesting a deadline extension, just put out straight that you do not wish to give false promises and be not able to deliver. That is the reason why you are approaching them in a proactive manner to get a deadline extension.
Letting the boss know that you are swamped in work and that you are struggling with conflicting deadlines is the best. Let the manager know you are unable to figure out where to actually start. Let them know how you are reaching out to them for their expertise in handling projects. You want to deliver a high-quality work and so approaching your boss for help is not bad or displays under qualification.
The sooner you can are able to give a heads up that you need help or are about to miss a deadline, the better. Advanced notice is better for you as well as for other people before you dump the work on someone or give the news of the delay.
