When you have a lot of documents that you need to take care of, there is often a sense of urgency that creeps in. This can make it difficult to start working on any of them. Your immediate reaction is to start working on one file, then jump to the next and then the next, and so on. The end result is that some work gets done, but little gets finished. The feeling of control does not come from how fast you work and how many things you do at once. It comes from how focused you are and how much you accomplish on one file.
To get started, pick one document. Then define what needs to happen next to it. Not what needs to happen to it when it’s done, but what needs to happen next. Maybe you need to define its purpose. Maybe you need to outline its contents. Maybe you need to fill out a draft. Perhaps the best thing to do here is to write one sentence describing what this document needs to accomplish next. If you keep that sentence in front of you as you work on the document, you’re less likely to get caught up making random edits or adding unnecessary detail.
One of the big issues that can arise here is that you have opened up all of the files, and whenever you get stuck on one of them, you simply switch to the next. This can give you the illusion that you’re getting a lot done, but you’re not finishing anything. When you get stuck on a file, don’t switch. Instead, reduce the task. Instead of trying to finish the whole file, try to get one section done. Instead of getting one section done, try rewriting one paragraph. Getting one paragraph rewritten is often enough to get you moving again.
Sometimes you can still feel overwhelmed. Sometimes the problem is that all of the documents look like they need to be done first. Here, you need to prioritize not based on importance but based on order. What needs to be done first in order for the next thing to happen? Once you have your order, commit yourself to doing what needs to be done on the first file before you go to the next. This should help you maintain a sense of flow and keep the documents from feeling so cluttered in your mind.
Take fifteen minutes today to practice moving from one file to the next in a controlled manner. Pick one document and focus only on the structure. Don’t worry about the words. Reorganize sections. Make sure everything has a logical flow. When the structure is in place, stop, even if the content isn’t right. This will help you learn how to establish order quickly, which is crucial when you’re working on a lot of documents and a deadline is involved.
With time and practice, you should no longer feel overwhelmed when you’re faced with a large number of documents. Each document should feel like a discrete task rather than a part of a larger mess. By practicing how to focus on one document at a time and bring order to it, you should be able to attack a large stack of documents without feeling like you’re losing control.