Ask Flex / Always behind, can't catch up
Can never catch up at work?
Almost nobody is. Change what "caught up" means.
"41 things. 9 done. 32 to go."
"41 things. 6 had someone waiting. All 6 done."
"Behind. Again."
"Nobody's waiting on me. I'm off."
An example. Your list, your call.
In most jobs the work refills every day, so "all caught up" lasts about an hour. Aim for a different finish line, which is nothing late that someone is waiting on.
Change what "caught up" means.
Mark who's waiting
A star next to anything a person is waiting on.
Clear the stars first
That's your real list.
Give the rest a day
A date on the calendar, not a promise to do it now.
Stop at the line
Stars done means done for today.
Here's my whole to-do list at work, with names and private details left out: [paste it, and mark anything a person is waiting on]. Pull out only the things someone is waiting on and put them in order. For everything else, suggest a day next week.
Before you paste work stuff into any AI, check what your company allows.A list that refills every day is ongoing work. The free Lab shows you how to hand that work to Claude.
The Start Wheel
Too behind to pick where to start? Put your late things on the wheel and spin. It picks one. You give it 15 minutes.
Spin the wheel
Learn this in the Lab, free
A free group where you learn to use Claude for the repeat parts of your job: email, reports, forms. Start with a 15-minute chat that maps what Claude can do in your job.
- Free
- No coding
- Works in Claude
Why am I never caught up at work?
Because new work shows up while you do the old work. That's the job, not a sign you're slow.
Why am I always behind at work?
Usually there's more work than hours. Flex has a page on it.
How do I get caught up at work?
Sort it into late, due soon, and nobody's waiting. Flex has a page on it.
Want to hand this to Claude?
Start in the Lab with the free 9-to-5 Job Triage: a 15-minute chat that maps what Claude can do in your job. Everything inside is free.