Advice from a business coach on how to make positive changes in your working environment
8 Get the big picture， then master your tasks
Question： I have so many tasks on my plate that I often don't know what to do first. The e-mail flow is so heavy that I don't know how to organize it so that I can determine my next actions， let alone find time to answer the mall. How can I get out of these trees so I can see the forest？
Answer： Once you know what your forest looks like， you'll be able to see which trees fit. You'll then be able to get organized and take action. Outline the big picture of your job. Write down your top tasks and major responsibilities so you're clear about what you should be doing. List the time-eaters that area outside your scope， too.
Then， gain focus by getting your e-mail under control. Assess which e-mails are necessary for your core account-abilities. Realistically， many are probably unrelated and could be deleted unread.
Just like clearing cluter from a room helps you feel lighter， getting our work life in order will give you new energy. If you have hundreds of e-mails waiting， pare them by sorting by sender. Delete those that are information only， including newsletters and status updates for non-core projects.
Create a system to organize the keepers based on your personal style. If you like a detailed filing system， replicate that in e-mail； use broad categories if they work better for you. Decide on an approach to track e-mails that need responses， perhaps creating a separate folder or using "action needed" flags. Then， file your remaining 3-mails into your new system.
Some simple steps can help maintain your system. Decide what time of day you'll review e-mails， and plan your work. Be disciplined about deleting unneeded e-mails unread and getting off unproductive distribution lists.
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Vocabulary Focus
have （a lot） on （one's） plate （idiom） ——to have a lot of work to do or a lot of problems to deal with
scope （n） the range of matters considered or dealt with
pare （v） to reduce something， especially by a large amount
keeper （n） something that is wroth maintaining in your possession
Specialized Terms
get out of （the） trees so （you） can see the forest （idiom） ——走出"見樹不見林"的困境，以窺全貌 to try to get a general idea of a situation that is hard to understand because of being involved with the details
8 Get the big picture， then master your tasks
Question： I have so many tasks on my plate that I often don't know what to do first. The e-mail flow is so heavy that I don't know how to organize it so that I can determine my next actions， let alone find time to answer the mall. How can I get out of these trees so I can see the forest？
Answer： Once you know what your forest looks like， you'll be able to see which trees fit. You'll then be able to get organized and take action. Outline the big picture of your job. Write down your top tasks and major responsibilities so you're clear about what you should be doing. List the time-eaters that area outside your scope， too.
Then， gain focus by getting your e-mail under control. Assess which e-mails are necessary for your core account-abilities. Realistically， many are probably unrelated and could be deleted unread.
Just like clearing cluter from a room helps you feel lighter， getting our work life in order will give you new energy. If you have hundreds of e-mails waiting， pare them by sorting by sender. Delete those that are information only， including newsletters and status updates for non-core projects.
Create a system to organize the keepers based on your personal style. If you like a detailed filing system， replicate that in e-mail； use broad categories if they work better for you. Decide on an approach to track e-mails that need responses， perhaps creating a separate folder or using "action needed" flags. Then， file your remaining 3-mails into your new system.
Some simple steps can help maintain your system. Decide what time of day you'll review e-mails， and plan your work. Be disciplined about deleting unneeded e-mails unread and getting off unproductive distribution lists.
=====================
Vocabulary Focus
have （a lot） on （one's） plate （idiom） ——to have a lot of work to do or a lot of problems to deal with
scope （n） the range of matters considered or dealt with
pare （v） to reduce something， especially by a large amount
keeper （n） something that is wroth maintaining in your possession
Specialized Terms
get out of （the） trees so （you） can see the forest （idiom） ——走出"見樹不見林"的困境，以窺全貌 to try to get a general idea of a situation that is hard to understand because of being involved with the details