Reflections #6:Multi-tasking

“How do you do it all?” asked Tikia as we sat around a rectangular wooden table covered with a red and black a masaai shuka with books placed on top. I could see Mighty Angwech and Other Stories by Christine Butegwa, Remembering the Future, The Cape Cod Bicycle War and Other Stories and Still Blossoming by Michelle Ivy Alwedo.

I smiled at her while I thought about the best way to answer her question. She waited patiently for me to finish with a smile on her face.

“Honestly its difficult.” I finally responded. But I have a few tips that help me navigate all my busy life.

• Acknowledge all the things you have to do. I have my hands dipped in about four projects: work  related and personal. The demands of each are seasonal but some days they are all arduous and I can hardly breathe.
• Plan!Plan! When do you want to do what, what time and where. Constantly calendar everything and keep tabs on the work you do. Pay attention to the days that are vital for all projects.
• Create to do lists. Each morning I create a to do lists for each project and time to implement. As I work throughout the day, I know what to do and when. This keeps me grounded and not overwhelmed.
• Extra time. Some days you will have to put in extra hours due to deadlines and all. If you are a workaholic like me and don`t like work spilling over or missing deadlines, then you will put in the extra time. Let it not become a habit.
• Take breaks. I usually take walks to repossess myself, feel like myself again. I take days off across all projects. Watching movies or listen to music, read a good book. Meet up with friends. Go dancing.
• Be diligent and maintain deadlines. When doing a lot, some things will suffer but be diligent always. Endeavor to deliver work on time.
• Keep communication lines open. Let your boss or whoever you report to know about the state of the work. Or if you are sick and are not able to deliver.
• Ask for help. You cannot do everything by yourself. Ask colleagues for help and lighten the load.