Dr. Melissa Read

Jessalyn, That sounds like a great plan. Sometimes easier said than done however. I might recommend focusing on these two things first thing each morning. You can start with just weekdays. That might be a nice way to make sure tasks are accomplished. Dr. Melissa Read

Dara, I really love that approach. Completing big tasks in chunks can make them so much less daunting. It feels good to just chip away at them over time, knowing some of our biggest obstacles will slowly be overcome. Dr. Melissa Read

Tracey, It sounds like you are indeed struggling with immediacy. I might recommend taking a few low priority tasks and seeing whether or not you can wait to complete them until the next morning. This practice might force you to identify true priorities. You might also enjoy the break too! You can try this just once a week so you could feel confident that you will not get too far behind. Dr. Melissa Read

Vicki, Some question formats truly are faster to grade than others. That being said, some formats also more deeply test knowledge than others. So when selecting the best format, we've got to consider a few different things. Dr. Melissa Read

Yvette, That sounds very relaxing to me. Note that different kinds of music work well for different kinds of people. Classical can be peaceful or stressful depending on the composer. Dr. Melissa Read

Charlene, It sounds like you know what you need to do in order to better cope with stress. Now it's time to implement some of this thinking. I might recommend gradually starting to cut back on the coffee. Rome wasn't built in a day. Dr. Melissa Read

Scott, Sounds like you have had a lot of experience to learn from and you have optimized your approach to task completion for the best! This is wonderful to hear. I wonder what other opportunities you have to further streamline things. Dr. Melissa Read

Daniel, Sometimes the most organized people are the ones that are the most insecure about their approach. This insecurity can actually drive more organization. High standards can both help and hurt us. Yes, taking some time for us can help tremendously. Dr. Melissa Read

Laura, That sounds like a great New Year's resolution! So many of us struggle with immediacy. While this can help us be productive, it can lead to burn out. Taking some time for us is a great approach. Dr. Melissa Read

LeeAnn, It sounds like you are balancing a lot, both with respect to tasks and multiple roles. Yes, you are the kind of person who could benefit greatly from having a list. With it, you'd be able to see the total landscape of work and personal tasks. Priorities from both would of course bubble to the top. Dr. Melissa Read