My priority should be my new year sale.  It is January 16th after all.  I may have even missed the boat but I figure the email will be a surprise to all my subscribers, and will drop into their inbox long after all the other sale emails have been deleted or forgotten. 

But before I can do that there are about 10 jobs that need doing so that my January sale newsletter makes any sense at all.

And they're not little jobs either!

So here I am, working the usual long hours and going into rabbit in headlights mode.  Which is, frankly pretty dodgy territory to be in, because before you know it you're into distraction tactics, surfing the net catching up on YouTube videos, cracking open a beer/eating chocolate (delete as appropriate - or not!)  Because you feel so overwhelmed. 

The only thing to do is stop what you're doing and write a mini list.  A mini list could be seen as the poor relation of the mighty to-do list, but it's what you write down that you can realistically accomplish that day.  It's a good way of getting yourself back on track.  When you've finished that list and gone to bed there's a feeling of relief, a lightness about the whole day.  Instead of a good dose of beating yourself up and self loathing (and a few thousand extra calories in Grolsch and Revels).

I'm halfway through mine and it's only 7.30 at night.  Bargain!  Right, where's the bottle opener.