How do you process the mountain of material that collects in your paper and electronic in-baskets? The answer is one piece of paper, one electronic message at a time. Many time management experts agree that the most effective people act on an item the first time it is touched.

Although difficult at first, the practice can become a habit, and is made easier with the four Ds:

• DO: If a task can be completed in two minutes or less, do it immediately.
• DELETE: If the material is trash or junk, delete it. Or, if it’s something that you might use later on, file it, and move on.
• DEFER: If the task is one that can’t be completed quickly and is not a high priority item, simply defer it.
• DELEGATE: If a task is not yours to do, then delegate it.

Remember, to take the S.T.I.N.G. out of feeling overwhelmed about a task, follow these steps:

• Select one task to do at a time.
• Time yourself using a clock for no more than one hour.
• Ignore everything else during that time.
• No breaks or interruptions should be permitted.
• Give yourself a reward when the time is up.