If you're like most people, you often find yourself making up a "to-do" list, complete with stars and exclamation points punctuating the things that "MUST be done today!"

And if you're like most, you're lucky if you complete even a fraction of what's on the list. It's not that I'm a martyr — I certainly have days that I could work a little harder — but I still always seem to wind up with more work than I can handle.

So why is that? What drives me to continually have more to do than I can realistically hope to accomplish? To be a team player? To impress the boss? Because I have sado-masochistic tendencies?

The real answer is "none of the above." Instead, lets look at past work habits and our inability to refocus them for our current work environment.

The most frequent problems are:

• An inability to say "no" 
  
• A tendency to take on more than one is able to realistically accomplish 
  
• Poor organizational or administrative skills 
  
• A perfectionist attitude, and paying too much attention to detail 
  
• The lack of good delegation skills 
  
• Allowing reverse delegation; that is, doing work we know others are capable of performing 
  
• A tendency to waste time: procrastination, allowing interruptions, distractions 
  

But those of us guilty of the above shouldn't fault ourselves too much. Taking on more responsibilities than you can handle does not mean you are a bad worker. In fact, you probably work so well that it seems natural to try to do more and more. This is when ... you feel overwhelmed, and your ability to work efficiently suffers.

So how do we keep ourselves from getting — and feeling — swamped?

1. Let it go.
   We have to learn to let go of old approaches to work, and let some things slide. Being a perfectionist may have gotten you to where you are, but it may also be the thing that holds you back.
   
   To do this, you can apply the "Pareto Principle," often known as the "80-20 Rule": Chances are that if you get 80 percent of the work done, the other 20 percent either will be fine if left undone or can be done by someone else. In short, don't obsess over that last 20 percent  — it will be OK. 
   
   One can also use this approach in decision-making. It is generally believed that 80 percent of the work in a company is done by 20 percent of the people. Don't let yourself always be in that 20 percent. Don't take on work you know others are capable of doing, even if they ask you. Learn how to decline politely. 
   
2. Just say no.
   When someone asks to pile more work on your plate, don't immediately push the peas into the potatoes. And if you mush your mix with your main course to make room for string beans or, especially, for a piece of liver — and who wants liver? — you'll likely get indigestion, if you don't just drop the plate.
   
   Let the delegator or cook know your work load. Don't have big eyes with a small mouth. Renegotiate timelines. There can even be life after deadlines.
   
3. Improve your multi-tasking skills.
   A person who can handle several projects at once and can move in all directions, not just forward and back, will be the most successful. The most successful workers are those who can manage many tasks at once. 
   
4. Learn to delegate.
   It's OK to ask for help or assign pieces of a project to others. In fact, employers value that skill. Delegating will not only get projects done, and possibly done better than if you'd tried to cram them into an already crowded schedule, but it will also free you to work on other projects. 
   
5. Improve your stress and work-management skills.
   Take an assertiveness training class. Learn to use technology (like PDAs or e-mail) to your advantage. Or take a seminar on desk organization. You may find that improving in one of these areas will improve your overall ability to assess the amount of work you can do well.