It truly takes all hands on deck to help a dental office smoothly. As a result, many teammates may find themselves taking on multiple tasks, seemingly all at once. But no matter the size of your team, there are ways to manage your tasks so you can work smarter, not harder.

Here are three quick strategies you can implement right away:
 

Batch your emails and voicemails

Your phone blinks, signaling you have voicemails. Your computer screen flashes, revealing a steady stream of unread email notifications. It can be tempting to address these messages as they come in just to make them go away. But in doing so, you put yourself in a constant state of reactive behavior, which makes it difficult to focus on completing a single task.  

Instead, try responding to messages more proactively. Set aside a block of time to batch responding to messages, such as in the morning when you come in. Depending on your email provider, you can also utilize productivity tools to create focus time or organize messages by priority. That way, your messages get the dedicated time they deserve while not detracting you from your other goals.
 

Rethink your to-do list

For some people, there are fewer things more satisfying than crossing items off a to-do list. But many of us are guilty of over-stuffing our lists with way more tasks than we could reasonably accomplish in a single day. As a result, we may feel like we’re not hitting our goals, no matter how many tasks were completed.

So instead of one big list that groups tasks of all sizes and complexities together, try the Muse’s 1-3-5 rule. When you make your list for the day, write down one big task, three medium tasks and five small tasks. By prioritizing your list by what you can reasonably accomplish in one day, you may surprise yourself at how much you can get done!
 

Delegate tasks

It can be hard to let go of tasks, especially if you have been the only one doing them for a long time. But if you can delegate a task to another person, this will free you up mentally and physically. It also allows others to learn new skills and sharing in the work will help build team trust.

Alternatively, see if any of your tasks can be delegated to automation. For instance, maybe emails you frequently write can be templated. Or perhaps adding a FAQ to your website can help reduce the number of common questions you answer.
 

The bottom line: Adopt “work smarter, not harder” as your office mantra. Look for small, yet impactful ways you can organize tasks to save yourself major time and energy.

Further reading: Making time management work for you