Prioritizing or Multitasking?

A Firm Perspective is written by Martha Goldman, a retired Big Law firm library manager who then returned to the NYLS Mendik Library where her career began…

So, you’ve started your summer job or externship. Got lots to do and feeling overwhelmed? It’s likely that you are confronting a heavy workload and multiple deadlines, all of which seem to need attention at the same time. But when you multitask, you must prioritize! Here are a few tips about prioritizing:

  • Decide which tasks are most important or urgent
  • Create a to-do list that reflects the tasks in order of their priority
  • Place the deadlines for all tasks in your calendar
  • Set realistic timelines for each task
  • Add time for distractions
  • Review and revise your timeline constantly, even throughout the day

 

You will succeed!