1. How to Initiate, Prioritize, and Plan Tasks
Presented by:
Brandi Ellis, M.A.
Laura Hansen, M.A.

2. Who We Are Group for Organization and Learning Skills (GOALS)
A program sponsored and provided by the USM Psychology Clinic for students who can benefit from tools for success such as:
Improved time awareness
Increased ability to cope with stressors
Enhanced ability to advocate for oneself
More developed communication and organizational skills

3. Today’s Objectives Initiating tasks Prioritizing your to-do list
You will learn to ways to initiate tasks and strategies for staying motivated to make progress.
Prioritizing your to-do list
You will learn the best way to prioritize tasks so that they meet their short- and long-term goals.
Planning to successfully reach a goal
You will learn how to plan a project and divide the project into smaller, more manageable segments to facilitate completion.
Dealing with stress
You will learn simple, straightforward strategies for managing anxiety and frustration in the workplace

4. Mindfulness Activity Timer Focus on a Single Minute
Close your eyes—do not count or look at your watch, just sit calmly
When you think a minute has passed, open your eyes—note how much time has actually passed (look at the timer)
Sit quietly until everyone has finished
Timer

5. Reactions? How many of you underestimated a minute?
How many of you overestimated a minute?
How many of you were within 5 seconds of a minute?
What does this tell you about your time awareness?

6. Initiating Tasks
Beginning a task is often the most challenging part! Some strategies that you can use to get a task going include:
Reducing the amount of work you plan to do within a given time frame
Creating visual cues
Examples: creating a desktop folder for an upcoming project, placing your to-do list in plain site

7. Additional Strategies
Plan to give yourself a reward for completing a task
Use naturally occurring rewards throughout the day
Alternate more difficult and easier tasks
Alternate boring and interesting tasks

8. Prioritizing Tasks
Prioritizing tasks is a way to make the most of your time and make you feel as though you are making progress
Several ways to prioritize tasks:
Categorize tasks according to similar characteristics (e.g., length of time needed for completion, level of effort)
Ask yourself: “What will I feel good about accomplishing today?”
Think about your goals
Use an important/urgency grid

9. Important/Urgency Grid
Urgent
Not Urgent
Important and urgent
Important but not urgent
Important
Not important and urgent
Not important and
not urgent
Not Important

10. Important Tasks
Important and Urgent: tasks that have the highest priority
Examples: work assignments that are due in the next few days; meetings occurring in the next week; student walks into your office with a question
Important and Not Urgent: longer term assignments that are not due immediately
Examples: training to use a new operating system; researching a new copier to purchase; in-service training that needs to be scheduled

11. Not Important Tasks
Not Important, but Urgent: tasks that come up frequently throughout the day
Examples: responding to s or text messages
Not important and Not Urgent: these are tasks that have the lowest priority and may involve “someday” projects
Examples: reorganizing the departmental supply closet

12. Practice: Categorizing Important/Urgent Tasks
Supervisor asks you for a list of possible venues for a meeting happening in two months
A text from a friend about going to dinner tonight
Preparing materials for the departmental staff meeting happening tomorrow
Shredding out-of-date student files

13. Prioritizing Tasks Things to remember
Before beginning a block of work, prioritize the tasks you need to complete using the Important/Urgent grid
Make a list and assign a priority level to each task
Priorities may change from moment-to-moment or day-to-day—be flexible AND consider short- and long-term goals
There’s no right way to prioritize! Figure out what system works for you and use it consistently

14. Planning Tasks
The skills of initiating and prioritizing tasks come together when we plan large tasks and set goals.
You can more effectively work toward your goals by following these steps:
Identify your goal
Break the task into more manageable sub-goals
May be helpful to do this in outline form
Estimate time needed to complete each sub-goal.
Add sub-goals to your planner with a specific timeline in mind.

15. Look at similar office manuals for ideas
Outline content of the manual
Outline content of the manual
Write the 1st section of the manual
Write the 2nd section of the manual
Write the 1st section of the manual
Write the 2nd section of the manual
Write the 3rd section of the manual
Complete the appendices
Write the 3rd section of the manual
Complete the appendices
Proofread the Manual
Target Manual Completion Date
Print and Bind the Manual
Proofread the Manual
Target Manual Completion Date
Print and Bind the Manual
Meeting with Supervisor to Discuss Manual Progress
Leaving for vacation

16. Activity: Planning a Task
Let’s Practice!
What is a project or task that you might be asked to complete in the workplace?
How might we break this down?

17. Dealing with Stress and Frustration
Self-Distraction by Counting
Count your breaths
Sit in a comfortable chair, put a hand on your belly, and take slow, deep breaths.
Imagine breathing into your stomach instead of your lungs.
Count how many breaths you take before your mind wanders, then re-start your counting at one.
Count by sevens
Start with two hundred and subtract seven (200, 193, 186, etc.)
Requires a large amount of concentration and attention
Distracts from the immediate feelings of being stressed or overwhelmed

18. Dealing with Stress and Frustration
Self-Sooth Using the Senses
Smell: wear scented oils, perfume, or cologne that produces a feeling of happiness or confidence
Vision: find a place that is soothing to look at, such as a park or garden, OR use a picture of a place that is soothing, such as the beach
Hearing: listen to soothing music, such as classical, oldies, new age, etc.
Taste: eat or drink something soothing, such as ice cream, pudding, tea, or hot chocolate.
Touch: carry something soft or velvety to touch when needed, like a soft piece of cloth; purchase an ergodynamic office chair

19. Takeaway Points Today, we covered:
Initiating tasks—how to motivate yourself to complete tasks throughout the day and stay focused
Prioritizing tasks—how to decide what tasks to work on and in what order
Planning tasks and setting goals
Dealing with stress

20. Thank you for your time and attention!
Any Questions?