One of the consistent complaints voiced by admins is that they're simply overloaded with work. I recently heard one IAAP chapter president encourage her fellow members to start saying "no" to the boss when they're expected to do too much with too little time and resources. Companies will eventually reap negative returns on all this task juggling as their admins become less effective and efficient.

In a recent blog post, "Just Say No: 5 Ways To Turn Down More To Get More Done," self-discipline strategist Rory Vaden suggests that much of the anxiety induced by over commitment is actually a form of self-flattery and procrastination. In other words, saying yes to everything makes us feel good and allows us to avoid our more challenging but higher-priority tasks. "Realize that sometimes a service to one creates a disservice to many," Vaden writes. "When we say yes to the person in front of us it satisfies our short-term fear of conflict, yet we don't accurately account for the negative impact that overextending ourselves has on the other stakeholders we've previously committed to." 

Though Vaden's steps are geared to executives, admins may be able to adapt them to clear some weight off their own backs and allow themselves to focus on what's really important.