This is regarding a person (me) working in computers as the only and primary job in operations role ( which I mean more of a engineering role of remotely managing data center and stuff like that with some level of coding involved). Also spends time before computer even as a hobby/passion. Would contribute to community open source project through bug triaging and helping people in problem.

Why I am saying this is he typically spends a huge amount of spend on a day before the computer. So it is not manual labor kind of environment. Sometimes it gets hectic. During that time prioritizing and being organized in the mind and putting it down in paper, so that we don't loose track of things becomes important. At a beginning of my typical day I cannot imagine what might come, although most of the things are planned in advance, but not all.

Rarely some unplanned activity can steal the entire days work. So what are the best practices tips for being organized and prioritizing for best under heavy work. Under low work load anything would work, so doesn't matter. It only under heavy work load your strategies are put to test and many times for me it fails to deliver. At-least not to my satisfaction.

More important what are the best tools for this job that really deliver while not complicating it further. Simple things like paper and pen but efficient know to work. Paper and pen is not efficient since they tend to accumulate and get messy. Please share your ideas.

Note: I become a bit paranoid when I am stressed as I become worried about safety and security of the servers because my attention levels are dropping during stress and this adversely impacts the situation and complicates it further. I know i am messy at these things, that's why I come here for help. I have read many self help book. But they talk about quick fix. No long term planning and execution and efficiency.

I think today's self help book are short sighted and made to make money and not with real intentions. maybe i am wrong. But some book i came across 2 or 3 of them in recent past suggest me this. One of them is a classic called "how to win friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie. This sure has a approach of disregard for human values and treats as man as machine of cause and effect. I totally disagree, man is beyond cause and effect, though it is of an impact but not limited to that.