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30 www.canadianlawyermag.com FEATURE PRODUCTIVITY I BLINK and the day is over. I'm constantly behind, trying to catch up and keep up. I purchased a new pair of pants, and by the time I get around to having them hemmed, they will probably be out of style. Does this sound familiar? In today's overstretched, overscheduled world, we feel like we're constantly reacting and not really in control of our days. So how can you take back control and put yourself Feeling constantly overwhelmed by your to-do list? Carson Tate offers six ways to work smarter and take back control back in the driver's seat of your life? Work smarter, not harder. Here's how. Batch or group similar tasks Batching or grouping similar tasks increases your efficiency without any extra effort on your part. For example, make all of your phone calls at one time, process your email at one time or review project proposals from vendors all at the same time. Switching between disparate How to work smarter, not harder Take a hard, critical look at your projects and ask yourself if each project is still relevant, directly tied to the organization's strategic goals and has a significant return on time investment tasks is highly inefficient. Work on the same type of project or task and complete more work in less time. Work in vacation mode Have you ever noticed what happens before a vacation? Your inbox is magically cleaned out, projects are wrapped up and your desk is cleared off. I call this "the vacation phenomenon." The vacation is a hard deadline. On Saturday after- noon, you're going to be on a sandy beach, holding a drink with an umbrella in it (at least this is my idea of a vacation). As a result, your work must be completed before you leave the office.