career get ahead. Unfortunately, none of us work in a vacuum, so get ready for coworkers and managers to interrupt. Have your lists at the ready? Here's what to do: Photo by Horia Varlan . Start saying no . Use your lists to support you. When someone asks if you can tackle something that you know instantly is unimportant, can be done by anyone, or will inevitably lead to you having to waste your time, say no. Or rather, say no tactfully and professionally . Say things like "Well, this week I'm working on X and Y (from your real list) and I need to get to A, B and C (from you whatever list). I don't think I can fit that in." Be ready for pushback, and be ready to be flexible. If you get a lot of pushback from your boss, revise your assumptions: this thing may be important, and if it's easy, it may be important to the right people and can earn you some points. Keep moving and don't get stuck in one position. Pick your battles . Remember, the goal here is to maximise your appearance of activity while minimising effort. That means you'll have to run a little to play ball: pick up little things you know have a big impact, and make sure everyone knows you're the one taking on the work. Don't shove it in their faces, just smile and be proud you can contribute. When you nail that highly-visible problem to