Accountants deal with many challenges that go beyond numbers and spreadsheets. You have to be a problem-solver, planner, and manage people.

When you’re busy with so many different tasks at work, it can be challenging to take care of everything you need to do when time seems to be passing by. But there are a few things that you can do to help you stay organized and prioritize your workload.

1) Get organized for the next day 

Plan your day in advance. It's a great way to start off and ensure that every minute counts towards being productive. Try going over your schedule from the following day before bed, so all you have to do is get out of bed and get going! When you arrive at work, you don't need to spend extra time deciding what you need to do or sort through emails.

2) Take advantage of your mornings

Some of the most productive people take care of everything first thing in the morning when they have a natural energy boost. Early mornings also provide a quieter and more relaxing atmosphere than later in the day. You can begin with your most important tasks and tackle them before anything else. Look at your emails at a later time because you can get distracted. 

Starting your day with a clear, actionable plan is very important. It's also imperative to keep a planner or daily calendar with you at all times so you can manage your time. This way, nothing gets pushed back or forgotten about for later. 

3) Prioritize tasks

When you have so many different tasks for one day, it can seem overwhelming and challenging to get everything done right away. But there is an easy solution for this - prioritizing! Prioritizing what needs to get done first helps you take care of all your tasks on time. If something is not a priority, it can wait until another day when you have more time to fit it in. 

Work on one task at a time - focus all your attention and complete one project before moving on. It’s easy to get sidetracked with so many different projects coming across your desk. Still, focus on your workload. Complete the most critical tasks first and second priority items are attended to as soon as possible! It might seem time-consuming at first, but staying focused for 30 minutes will ensure you get more work done.

Prioritize your tasks, so you're not wasting time on unnecessary jobs. For example, if a client's tax return is due in two days and needs it tomorrow - work on their taxes first instead of checking social media for an hour.