Workplace Calisthenics: When dealing with to-do lists, tackle tough stuff first

Does your "to-do" list look like this:

No. 1.

No. 1.

No. 1.

No. 1?

If you approach your desk like it is the bottom of a snake-infested Indiana Jones pit, you may need this column.

Is everything you have to do today a priority? Are you smothered in "the urgent?" That's right, do you have so much to do your mind and body go into freeze frame? You know, your eyes darted around the room, your hands kept touching the same piece of paper and you could not remember your name.

We have suddenly figured out that the currency of massive change is chaos. And, chaos doesn't come cheap. We pay for it hourly with wanton, empty glances cast between our Rolexes and Zantac bottles.

Here is some practical help for those of us weaned on toner and time planners. You won't find this stuff in any book or audiocassette series (in a few seconds you will know why).

This is totally free advice for all of us hurried, harried, and haggard refugees of the just-in-time age.

First, stop lying to yourself.

Have you been using these lies lately? "This will all pass and things will slow down next quarter." Or, "As soon as sales pick up we will be able to afford more staff." And, how about, "The people at the top know we are busting our butts they will give us some relief right after the holidays."

Get over it. Get a life.

If you regularly repeat those mantras, you probably believe the Holocaust didn't happen, the golf shot on the moon was filmed in Hollywood and O.J.'s blood-soaked clothes got lost at the cleaners.

You will never figure out what should be the priority today if you refuse to deal with reality. If things "slow down," your organization is on the brink of going out of business. When sales increase, the workload will increase, not decrease. And, the people at the top are interested in increasing your productivity so they will not be coming up to you with homemade brownies, monogrammed sweatbands and entreaties to slow down.

Second, put a red mark next to the item on your to do list you hate the most. Then do it first.

We play games with to-do lists. They are constructed with such precision. Every number has to have a period after it. Every item has to be a complete sentence. Every finished task has to be marked out in a wide, red marker. And, everything we don't want to do has to be buried at the bottom of the list.

We dig a spot for it at the end of the list because we know we won't get to it and then excuse ourselves from pursuing the project because we are so tired from working hard all day. After all, just look at all the red marks! They didn't get there because we were sloughing off!

Horse feathers! If you don't want to call that angry customer take one hand and make the other one push the little buttons down before you do anything else.

Third, once you begin your priority, stay on it until it is finished. Yes, there will be interruptions by life-sucking people, "Why did you call me" phone calls and toilet bowls intent on going north instead of south.

If you really do not want to accomplish your priority, every interruption is a gift from God. In his divine wisdom, he has provided an escape route. Take it, right?

Every deviation from your priority will provide temporary relief and then leave heap huge amounts of guilt and regret on your psyche. So take that meaningless phone call and clean out your junk drawer today but you know you will pay later.

Finally, decide this game is below you. With your maturity, stature in this community and intellect (hallucinating is fun!) this priority scam is just not worthy of you.

Here is an idea. Write this, as No. 1 on your to-do list today, "Don't let this list demean you just do it."

(Dr. Cal LeMon solves organizational problems with customized training and consulting. His company, The Executive Edge, can be contacted via the Business Journal at sbj@sbj.net.)