It's all in the “Gunna” do basket and it all ends up in a stack on the corner of your desk, or work station or on the top of the filing cabinet or on a shelf.
Then after stack #1 gets unstable there is stack #2 and stack #3 and ......... so it goes on.
Then it all gets too hard, so you promise yourself that you will look at it “manana” - tomorrow.  But of course tomorrow is yesterdays today and so it keeps on, going on.

The answer is the 5 D's of Engineering

Be ruthless and apply rigorously with no exception.

When "stuff" comes across your desk, apply the 5 D's of Engineering  :-

• Do it – Today – before you leave work - or

• Dump it – Today - be ruthless - Yes you will throw away some good stuff.  But on balance the Pareto Principle will prevail and 80% of the time you will be correct.  And the other 20% ? - manage it when it happens - or

• Delegate it– Move it on – Today – thats what emails are really good for – move it on to subordinates  or colleagues – just move it on

• Don't

• Deliberate - Make a decision and move on to the next job

Apply the 5 D's of Engineering to reclaim your desk and sanity.  It will improve your efficiency and might even mean less time at the office.