Finding Time for the Small Stuff: A Guide to Tackling Less Important Tasks

It’s hard enough trying to keep up with all the meetings and deadlines, yet alone the ever-growing list of small tasks that seem to multiply like bunnies! Let’s talk about those little administrative chores—the newsletters waiting to be reviewed, the routine forms to be filled, and all the other mundane but necessary tasks that lurk in our todo lists.

Prioritise Your Priorities

Sure, while none of these tasks usually scream urgency, they do demand attention eventually. It’s funny that whenever we talk about prioritisation, these are the tasks that always fall into the bottom of whatever method or matrix we’re talking about! However, they do need to get done at some point…neglecting them can lead to a snowball effect of chaos later on! While you should definitely focus on the most critical tasks for the day, slot in some time—no matter how brief—for the small stuff.

Harness ‘Dead Time’

The moments between meetings, the commute that’s now just a stroll to your home office, or indeed a meeting that’s ended 10 minutes early. Instead of scrolling through social media during these pockets of time, use them to chip away at your small tasks. Knock out a few emails, review a newsletter, or fill in a form while you wait for your next Zoom call to start.

Break It Down

Sometimes, the sheer volume of small tasks can feel overwhelming. Break them down into bite-sized chunks or group them together to make them more manageable. Rather than staring down a towering pile of virtual paperwork, tackle one form at a time or commit to reviewing just one newsletter a day. Progress, no matter how small, is still progress.

Admin Hour

Dedicate an hour each week to administrative tasks, say on a Friday afternoon. Update your calendar, organise files, and sort out any virtual paperwork. Other things you can do are review newsletters, including unsubscribing from any you don’t need any more. Essentially, knock off as many tasks from your ‘small tasks’ list as you possibly can.

Embrace Automation

Can some of those small tasks be automated? Look for opportunities to automate repetitive tasks wherever possible. Set up email filters to organise newsletters into a dedicated folder for easy review later, or use Outlook to schedule reminders for routine administrative chores. See what other tools you can use, like Microsoft Power Automate, for example, to help cut down on the time it takes to do these small tasks.

Probably a post in itself…

Practice the Two-Minute Rule

Try and stop the small tasks from piling up in your todo list in the first place! As ever, if something can be done in two minutes or less, tackle it immediately. Whether it's a one line reply to an email, reviewing a short newsletter, or filling out a form, addressing these small tasks right away prevents them from lingering on your to-do list and taking up critical mental space.