How to Survive and Actually Thrive at Work
By Sandy Schroeder
We all recognize that pleased feeling that shows up when work is going well. Why not create a lot more of those moments?
Sara Caputo, MA, productivity coach at Psychocentral says “It’s all about time management, identifying and eliminating time-wasters and following through.”
Try these tips to get the work done to create time for what you want to do.
Ditch the time-wasters - We all have a few temptations, but when they take way too much time we need to reduce them. Yours may be socializing with friends at work, roaming social media and other web surfing, or personal business. Cut it back to get more work done.
Organize life details - A lot of time can be lost looking for important mail, keys or key phone numbers. Set up deposit spots at home and at work to keep track of everything.
Do a little organizing every day - Don’t let bills, papers and other documents pile up. Take 15 minutes every day to keep things under control. Use the deposit spots that you have created to keep a running order.
Maintain a brief to-do list - Use it as your plan for the day or the week. Keep it short and up to date. That helps you get more done and avoid missing crucial appointments or deadlines.
Focus on essentials - Don’t hesitate to say no when you get time-taking requests that slow you down. The more you say yes, the slower your regular work assignments may move.
Get real about time – Most of us make sweeping assessments of the time it takes to get everything done. If we keep moving that may work, but actually understanding how much time each task takes could help you work better with less pressure.
Zero in on work time - Figure out how many hours you spend each day. Subtract travel time, meetings and the usual daily interruptions. Then make a list of projects to be done with estimates of time needed. Those numbers may give you a clearer picture of what you are dealing with and why it is working -- or not working.
Define your mission - You may be moving along every day with a distant goal of writing a book or starting your own business, but those things will only happen if you get real about allotting time for them.
Remember you are in charge - The responsibility of getting your work done rests on you. Use the power and ability you have to get everything done. Take a long hard look at what is happening and cut through the time-wasters to stay on task.
Surviving and actually thriving can be well worth the effort to figure it all out. Enjoy!
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