Ask Flex / Always behind, can't catch up
How do you get caught up at work?
Sort before you start, into what's late, what's due soon, and what nobody is waiting on, then clear the late pile in one sitting. The fastest catch-up skips the things nobody will miss.
Sort first. Then start.
Sort it three ways
Late, due soon, and nobody's waiting.
Tell people you're on it
"You'll have it Thursday" buys a lot of calm.
Do one catch-up block
The late pile, one sitting, phone face down.
Let some things go
Some of the backlog already answered itself.
Here's my backlog at work, with names and private details left out: [paste your list. For each thing, say when it was due and whether someone is waiting on it]. Sort it into late, due soon, and nobody's waiting. If you can't tell where one goes, ask me. Then draft a short "I'm on it, you'll have it by [day]" note I can send for each late one.
Before you paste work stuff into any AI, check what your company allows.If you're catching up every single week, the pile is ongoing. 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
How do I catch up on work fast?
Sort before you start. The fastest catch-up skips what nobody is waiting on.
How do I catch up on work when I'm behind?
Start with whatever someone is waiting on, oldest first. Send a date for the rest.
Why am I always behind at work?
Usually there's more work than hours. 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.