A task explosion happens when you are suddenly faced with more tasks than you are used to. I’ve faced many times where you suddenly need to handle twice as much work, with twice the pressure. Stress levels rise, and you might feel about ready to snap.

I’ve prepared a survival list of things to do when you get caught in the middle of a task explosion. Hopefully these tips can help you get a bit more done, and keep you from pulling the hair out of your head.

1. Stop and Think - When the explosion hits, you are probably still reeling from the impact, unsure what to do. Working randomly is about the worst plan to use, since you may accomplish less critical tasks when big problems lie in the background.

2. Know What You’re Prepared to Leave Behind - After you’ve paused yourself, it is time to assess your priorities. Ask yourself what you’ll need to give up if the time starts ticking down. Anything that isn’t crucial needs to be pushed back.

3. Begin Immediately - As soon as you’ve decided what is most important, get working. Some people react to a task explosion by procrastinating or working on something easy. If that is your case, plan your next step and take action right away.

4. Shuffle Work - A sudden doubling of your workload doesn’t give you much time to adapt. When this happens to me, I make sure I shuffle my work in 60-90 minute chunks so I don’t get overtired. Shuffling means placing tasks that use different skills after each other. Do reading tasks for sixty minutes then switch to one that involves writing or communicating. This will allow you to work longer and harder.

5. Are You Heading for a Nuclear Winter? - Is this task explosion temporary or is it going to be a permanent adjustment. If you think that this explosion might have a long-term impact, it’s a good idea to assess your life in general. What commitments need to be dropped in order for you to survive?

6. Useful Laziness - Taking breaks is a good idea if your explosion will last weeks or months. The key is to make sure that your rest counts. How often do you plan to relax but end up wasting your energy on something trivial? Decide what really rejuvenates you and spend your short breaks doing that.

7. Morning Boost - If you know you have a few days with mountains of work ahead, sleep a bit earlier and wake up earlier. When you start your morning early, you are more likely to begin with full force. That momentum will carry you throughout the day so by noon you’ve already got your most important tasks done.

8. Eat Light - Digestion eats up a huge amount of energy (no pun intended). A good way to keep your energy levels high is to eat water-rich vegetables and low fat foods. Stuffing your face with a burger and fries is only going to slow you down.

9. List Everything - A mile is only a bunch of feet strung together. If you list everything that needs to be done, you will feel more confident that you can handle it. The listing process helps take the vague, amorphous blob of work and turns it into bite-sized pieces.

10. Unplug - If the task-explosion injures you, distractions will finish you off. Unplug the phone, internet or computer if you don’t need them that moment. The more noise you have to fight through the harder it will be to focus. Even if the silence is uncomfortable for the first few minutes, you can speed up to a quick flow.

11. Breakdown Delegation - If you’re working with a team, cut the work into large chunks and quickly discuss what needs to be done in each. Interpersonal communication should only happen when strictly necessary. Get everyone to stand up if you need to hold a meeting as that should pick up the pace.

12. Reward Later, Work Now - Find something that can motivate you for the next few hours. Agree to give yourself a reward when you finish your work. The reward doesn’t need to be huge, but even a twenty minute break to do something enjoyable can do the trick. Don’t give yourself the reward first with the expectation to work afterwards! You’ve got your psychology backwards there as it will be just as hard to quit procrastinating after you’ve taken a break.

13. Find Shortcuts - Almost any activity has shortcuts if you look at it broadly enough. Find ways you can cut corners and get things done faster to keep up with demand. Shortcuts might not be advisable when you’ve got time to focus on quality, but if time is against you, do what you need to do.

14. Weigh Consequences - Sometimes you need to take a little pain to avoid a lot of pain. Look at the consequences for not following through on different commitments. If you feel you can’t handle every commitment, find the ones that will give the least pain and break them. It might be the only way to avoid a huge failure because you didn’t manage your time.

15. Exercise - Many people, when they face a task explosion cut exercise first. This might be fine if your explosion lasts only a day or two. But if your workload overload spans weeks and months, this will only hurt you. Exercise helps you sustain high energy levels for working, even if you can only do a 30 minute power workout.

當你突然麵臨比平常更多的任務負載時

，任務大爆炸就要發生了。我經常經曆這種情況：你需要處理兩倍於平常的事務，承受兩倍於平常的壓力。你精神之弦繃得很緊
，你感覺自己抓狂了，隨時就會崩潰。

    為此我整理出幫你應對任務大爆炸的方法清單。希望這些招數能幫你解決更多一點的問題，不至於你一籌莫展得隻能狂抓自己的頭發。

    1
、停止躊躇觀望，主動思考。當任務爆炸襲擊你的時候，你很有可能還盤旋躊躇於侵襲的漩渦裏，不確定要做什麼。天馬行空

、眉mei毛mao胡hu子zi一yi把ba抓zhua是shi最zui糟zao糕gao的de

，很hen多duo時shi候hou任ren務wu背bei後hou可ke能neng隱yin藏zang著zhe致zhi命ming問wen題ti，如ru果guo你ni眉mei毛mao胡hu子zi一yi把ba抓zhua
，很hen有you可ke能neng錯cuo失shi解jie決jue最zui關guan鍵jian問wen題ti的de最zui佳jia時shi機ji。

    2、分析輕重緩急
，確定優先順序（了解哪些是可以緩一緩或放棄的任務）。讓自己鎮靜下來後，就該分析評估任務優先順序了。問問自己: 如果時間緊迫不夠用，必須要放棄哪些任務呢？另外，不是關鍵性的任務都要緩一緩放在日程的後麵。

    3、即ji刻ke行xing動dong。一yi旦dan你ni確que定ding了le什shen麼me是shi最zui重zhong要yao的de，就jiu馬ma上shang開kai始shi行xing動dong。很hen多duo人ren麵mian對dui任ren務wu爆bao炸zha時shi，習xi慣guan於yu一yi拖tuo再zai拖tuo或huo者zhe隻zhi做zuo容rong易yi做zuo的de事shi。如ru果guo你ni是shi這zhe樣yang

，那na麼me不bu要yao再zai“明日複明日”和逃避了
，計劃下一步並即刻行動。

    4、歸(gui)類(lei)交(jiao)錯(cuo)分(fen)解(jie)工(gong)作(zuo)負(fu)荷(he)。兩(liang)倍(bei)於(yu)平(ping)常(chang)的(de)工(gong)作(zuo)負(fu)荷(he)突(tu)然(ran)襲(xi)擊(ji)時(shi)，你(ni)是(shi)猝(cu)不(bu)及(ji)防(fang)的(de)，沒(mei)有(you)多(duo)餘(yu)的(de)時(shi)間(jian)讓(rang)你(ni)調(tiao)整(zheng)適(shi)應(ying)。每(mei)到(dao)此(ci)時(shi)，我(wo)就(jiu)將(jiang)工(gong)作(zuo)分(fen)解(jie)到(dao)若(ruo)幹(gan)個(ge)60-90分鍾的時間段裏
，以確保不會過渡疲勞。歸類交錯分解，就是將需要不同知識技能的任務項目交錯排列。60分鍾的閱讀任務完成以後
，轉向寫作或交流等其他任務。這樣能保證你工作更持久更投入。

    5
、長期任務爆炸的策略（你在通向一個核冬天麼？）。zhegerenwudabaozhashizanshidehaishiyigechangqidetiaozhengne
？ruguonirenweizhegebaozhahuoxuhuiduiniyouchangqidechongji，name

，zhongxinpingguyixianideshenghuoshiyigebucuodefangfa。weilequebaoshengcunxialai
，naxiedanzishiyaoxiexialaidene？

     6、有效有用的“偷懶”。如果你的任務爆炸將要持續數星期甚至數月，那麼適當休息是很明智的。關鍵在於：確保你的休息是有效有用。你是不是有過這樣的情況：nidasuanxiuxifangsongyixiajieguoquebajinglilangfeizaiwuweidesuoshishang？zhezhongqingxingdefashengdepinlvshiduoshao
？quedingdaodishenmenengshinijingshenzhenfennenglianghuanfa
，bashijianhuazaizhexieshiqingshang。

    7、yitianzhijizaiyuchen。ruguoniyuxianzhidaosuihoujitiannidegongzuofuheduijirushan，namejiuzaoshuizaoqi。zaoqigongzuohuishiniquanlitouru。erqiezhezhongdonglianghuibanniyizhengtian，tongchangniyitianzhongzuizhongyaoderenwujiuhuizaiqianbantianwancheng。

    8
、飲食清淡。食物消化會耗掉很大一部分的能量（無雙關意義）。保持你能量水平的好方法就是吃多汁的蔬菜和低脂食物。往嘴裏隨便塞些漢堡煎炸食品隻會降低你的工作效率。

     9、列lie出chu要yao做zuo的de每mei件jian事shi。千qian裏li之zhi行xing始shi於yu足zu下xia
，不bu積ji跬kui步bu無wu以yi至zhi千qian裏li。列lie出chu每mei一yi件jian你ni要yao做zuo的de事shi情qing會hui增zeng加jia你ni處chu理li駕jia馭yu這zhe些xie任ren務wu的de信xin心xin。列lie清qing單dan的de過guo程cheng將jiang模mo糊hu的de無wu形xing瑣suo碎sui的de任ren務wu提ti取qu出chu來lai，並bing把ba它ta們men轉zhuan化hua為wei易yi管guan理li可ke執zhi行xing的de任ren務wu。

    10、切qie斷duan電dian源yuan
，擯bin除chu幹gan擾rao。如ru果guo說shuo任ren務wu大da爆bao炸zha讓rang你ni遍bian體ti鱗lin傷shang，那na麼me最zui終zhong會hui將jiang你ni置zhi於yu死si地di的de
，是shi幹gan擾rao和he分fen心xin。如ru果guo對dui你ni執zhi行xing任ren務wu沒mei有you用yong途tu
，拔ba掉diao電dian話hua、wangluohuodiannao。yueduozaoshengheganrao，yuenanyujizhongjingli。jinguankaishijifenzhongdewushenganjing
，kenenghuishinigandaohenbushufu，danshizheyangzuokeyimashangrangnijinrukuaisugaoxiaodejinchengzhong。

    11、分(fen)工(gong)合(he)作(zuo)
，各(ge)司(si)其(qi)職(zhi)。如(ru)果(guo)你(ni)效(xiao)力(li)於(yu)一(yi)個(ge)工(gong)作(zuo)團(tuan)隊(dui)，有(you)效(xiao)的(de)方(fang)法(fa)是(shi)將(jiang)任(ren)務(wu)分(fen)解(jie)為(wei)若(ruo)幹(gan)子(zi)部(bu)分(fen)
，並(bing)盡(jin)快(kuai)討(tao)論(lun)分(fen)配(pei)出(chu)每(mei)個(ge)子(zi)部(bu)分(fen)的(de)詳(xiang)細(xi)任(ren)務(wu)。隻(zhi)有(you)在(zai)急(ji)需(xu)的(de)情(qing)況(kuang)，才(cai)允(yun)許(xu)組(zu)員(yuan)間(jian)的(de)交(jiao)流(liu)。如(ru)果(guo)必(bi)須(xu)召(zhao)集(ji)大(da)家(jia)會(hui)麵(mian)討(tao)論(lun)，前(qian)提(ti)是(shi)這(zhe)樣(yang)的(de)會(hui)麵(mian)必(bi)須(xu)有(you)助(zhu)於(yu)保(bao)持(chi)工(gong)作(zuo)的(de)進(jin)展(zhan)步(bu)調(tiao)，而(er)且(qie)確(que)保(bao)每(mei)個(ge)組(zu)員(yuan)都(dou)獨(du)當(dang)一(yi)麵(mian)。

    12、先苦後甜。為自己隨後幾個工作小時找一個激勵。答應自己在完成任務後給自己一些獎勵，不需要很大
，哪怕是休息20分鍾來做自己喜歡做的事情就會很奏效。不要破這個先例：允許自己先嚐到獎勵的甜頭再工作。如果你先自我獎勵了，你的心理趨向就很難不去拖延工作了。

    13、尋xun找zhao省sheng時shi捷jie徑jing。如ru果guo你ni能neng高gao屋wu建jian瓴ling的de觀guan察cha每mei件jian事shi，每mei件jian事shi都dou能neng找zhao到dao捷jie徑jing。為wei盡jin快kuai達da到dao目mu標biao

，你ni通tong常chang要yao找zhao到dao捷jie徑jing以yi便bian迅xun速su解jie決jue問wen題ti。誠cheng然ran
，當dang你ni有you足zu夠gou時shi間jian將jiang精jing力li放fang在zai工gong作zuo“質量”上的時候，我們並不讚成你尋找捷徑。但是如果時間緊迫，你就必須尋找通往羅馬最省時間的路了。

    14、考慮後果，小不忍則亂大謀。有時候你需要先體驗一些小痛苦，為的是避免將來更多的痛苦。仔細考慮一下：ruguobunengwanchengmeigerenwu，houguohuishishenmeyangdene？ruguoshizheyang
，zhaochurangnirenshouzuixiaotongkuderenwubingfangqitamen。zainiyijingwufayouxiaoguanlishijiandeshihou，zhehuoxushibimiangengdasunshichengshougengdatongkudeweiyitujingle。

    15、duanlianshentibunengshe。henduorenyudaochaofuherenwubaozhashi，shouxianjiushijiangduanlianshenticongrichengshangcaidiao。ruguorenwubaozhazhiyouyiliangtian，zheyangzuoyewufang。danshidangnidechaofuhegongzuoliangyaochixushuzhoushenzhishuyueshi，zheyangzuowulifanhai。yundongyouzhuyunibaochigaonengliangshuipinglaitourugongzuozhong，jishimeitian30分鍾的運動也會有幫助。