# A lot of people asking me to do small things

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-people-asking-me-to-do-small-things/964447>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 15, 2022, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-people-asking-me-to-do-small-things/964447 "2022-05-15T11:35:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2022, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-people-asking-me-to-do-small-things/964447/21 "2022-05-16T22:52:03Z")

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> [@Bonum\_Legatum](#):
>
> That was ONE BIG advantage I had in the days before email. In-person requests would get written on a sticky note and posted above my desk with all of the other notes. The visual of a board covered with notes made things much easier to understand.

I still have my whiteboard behind me that shows my current tasks. I REALLY wish there was an easy online way to show people your current work priority list… but then again, I know they’d never look at it ::sigh::.

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**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2022, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-people-asking-me-to-do-small-things/964447/22 "2022-05-17T09:03:14Z")

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> [@ThelmaLou](#):
>
> “Lack of planning on your part does not create an emergency on my part.”

Unfortunately in my job, it can and frequently does.

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**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-lot-of-people-asking-me-to-do-small-things/964447/23 "2022-05-20T13:51:26Z")

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> [@curwin](#):
>
> I find that I’m frequently overwhelmed (mostly at work) with a lot of people asking me to do what is, in their eyes, a relatively small/simple task. But because so many people have these types of requests from me, it’s not easily manageable, and overall is much harder than any one person might assume it is when they ask me.

Make a list that has the requestor’s name, and their requested task. Put that list on a clipboard and people come to you and write their requested task down in the order that they came to you. Tell them the tasks will be done in that order and you can see how many tasks I have yet to do. That way, if you have a full plate, they will know not to expect too much. Also if they see you have way too many tasks and they really need it done today, they just might do it themselves.

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