7 tips on how to leave work on time and keep up with everything
“There are several reasons why our day was so bloated,” said time management specialist Julie Morgenstern. - The companies are constantly reducing the number of employees. We live in a time of rapid change, so things are no longer "going their own way." When you realize that you have more tasks than time to complete them, then learn to focus only on the most necessary. ”
Does this mean that, after reading this article, you will become the most effective time manager and will never stay in the office after 6 pm? Unlikely. But no matter who you are or whatever you do, a few useful tips on how to manage your time can not only reduce the number of hours spent at work, but also improve their quality.
Find out what it takes all your time. The result will surely surprise you.
You may have started writing a commercial proposal, but every minute you get distracted by the endless stream of incoming messages in the mail. Or the boss is filling you with new tasks, but you have not finished what you have already begun. Or you honestly try to work, but you can’t resist the unbeatable desire to know “everything that happens on the Internet”.
You can lose time in different ways, everyone has their own reasons, but if you do several things at the same time, this can reduce the quality of work and increase the working day by several hours. If you want to optimize the time spent at the workplace, first of all find out where exactly it goes.
Morgenstern advises to start a diary to start. This will help determine where the time goes. You can ask yourself the question: “Why did I spend so much time on editing? Because it took a break or because I stalled? ”
“Determine at what stage you are losing precious minutes, and change your schedule,” the expert advises. “And if you are not able to do one thing and scatter, your task for a start is to at least learn to ask yourself such questions.”
Another task is to understand what your working time is spent on. Morgenstern warns that time spent on various means of communication — replies to letters, “marathon” meetings — does not count. Here, the effectiveness of actions is evaluated only within the framework of your job descriptions.
Make a short list of the most important tasks, and put the rest aside
The biggest mistake you can make at work is to put all - large and small, important and secondary - tasks in one list. It’s not right if in your to-do list there are such items in a row: get through to a potential client, order paper for a printer, flash folders with documents.
It is practically impossible to accomplish all this at once, but many of us will not calmly go home without completing things: missed tasks seem to look at us with reproach. It’s better to follow the advice of Laura Vanderkam, author of 168 Hours: You Have Much More Time Than You Think. She recommends that you select from the entire list no more than three, or in extreme cases, five really important and urgent cases. And ignore the rest.
“Think carefully about what is the priority for today's work day,” says Vanderkam. “It makes no sense to make a long list if there is not enough time for each item.”
And forget about new applications for smartphones, which supposedly help to make a to-do list and complete each item. Both Morgenstern and Vanderkam unanimously say: when you really need to roll up your sleeves and concentrate, it is better to use analog tools.
“A to-do list on plain paper — even if it’s printed on a printer — helps a lot of people, even young people from the digital generation, a lot,” says Morgenstern. “You can look at this list at any time, and you will not be tempted to check your mail, go to the social network and drown in the swamp that is most hindering your work, the Internet.”
An alarm clock is needed not only to wake up in the morning
Do not underestimate the capabilities of one of the simplest smartphone tools - an alarm clock. Morgestern argues that awareness of deadline and the inexorableness of time can help focus if you are easily distracted from business or you don’t know when to consider work completed: “If you are a perfectionist, you can set a goal:“ I will spend 90 minutes and no more ", - and set the alarm. Or, for example: "I will work for two hours and only then check the mail."
Which brings us to the idea that ...
Is it time to tie up with mail?
When was the last time you wanted more emails? Probably in childhood, when they dreamed of correspondence with their favorite singer.
You probably think that the times of difficult relationships have remained in the student past. But this is not so. The most destructive relationship you have with your own mail. It requires constant attention. She took up all your space - your work computer, laptop, smartphone and tablet. It’s like a jealous partner who constantly asks: “Why are you not paying attention to me?”
“E-mail is a lot of concern, constantly distracting,” says Morgenstern, who recommends excluding mail checking in the first hour after waking up and the first hour of every business day. - This is the most convenient way of procrastination, that is, putting off affairs for later. But this process can be controlled and quit mail. If you start the day with replies to letters, you will not be able to enter proactive mode. ”
It's not about you. It's all in your mail. You just need to get out of the mail.
Plan your work time three days in advance, including time to leave the office
It is useless to try to plan working hours at the beginning of the day - by that time, you are most likely already mired in the routine of tasks.
Instead, take a little time in the late afternoon to plan for tomorrow and a couple of days to come. This will not only help you cope with the current day, but also make it clear what your workload is now - is it worth it to take on something else, or you need to focus on what is already there.
“A three-day planning horizon is a good decision. In this case, you can safely decide whether to take on new tasks, says Morgenstern. “If you plan only an hour in advance, you will not have the opportunity to refuse anything.”
Thus, instead of mentally preparing for the upcoming day marathon, you can postpone some of the work for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow and spend a great free evening. If you plan to stay at work until all the things are done, then do not dream of an early departure home. Or think about spending the night at work.
“This is a very important point,” Morgenstern notes. “You will always have affairs and tasks, you need to be able to stop on time.”
When nothing else helps - sort!
“Sort,” experts advise in unison. You usually leave work on time, at a specific time, but suddenly after lunch, a task appears that requires your attention, but is not a matter of life or death for the company. In this case, you need to evaluate its significance and fulfill it during the remaining working time, and not leave it at the end of the working day.
Vanderkam sometimes recommends asking himself: “If the lights in our building were turned off at 6 o’clock, what would I try to do first of all?” And then take on these very things. The problem is that many do not ask this question until it is too late in the literal sense. Everyone dispersed, and they stay up late.
Every employee wants their overtime efforts in the evenings to be noticed. But in this case, it is very important to learn how to determine when it is really necessary. Especially because ...
Does this mean that, after reading this article, you will become the most effective time manager and will never stay in the office after 6 pm? Unlikely. But no matter who you are or whatever you do, a few useful tips on how to manage your time can not only reduce the number of hours spent at work, but also improve their quality.
Find out what it takes all your time. The result will surely surprise you.
You may have started writing a commercial proposal, but every minute you get distracted by the endless stream of incoming messages in the mail. Or the boss is filling you with new tasks, but you have not finished what you have already begun. Or you honestly try to work, but you can’t resist the unbeatable desire to know “everything that happens on the Internet”.
You can lose time in different ways, everyone has their own reasons, but if you do several things at the same time, this can reduce the quality of work and increase the working day by several hours. If you want to optimize the time spent at the workplace, first of all find out where exactly it goes.
Morgenstern advises to start a diary to start. This will help determine where the time goes. You can ask yourself the question: “Why did I spend so much time on editing? Because it took a break or because I stalled? ”
“Determine at what stage you are losing precious minutes, and change your schedule,” the expert advises. “And if you are not able to do one thing and scatter, your task for a start is to at least learn to ask yourself such questions.”
Another task is to understand what your working time is spent on. Morgenstern warns that time spent on various means of communication — replies to letters, “marathon” meetings — does not count. Here, the effectiveness of actions is evaluated only within the framework of your job descriptions.
Make a short list of the most important tasks, and put the rest aside
The biggest mistake you can make at work is to put all - large and small, important and secondary - tasks in one list. It’s not right if in your to-do list there are such items in a row: get through to a potential client, order paper for a printer, flash folders with documents.
It is practically impossible to accomplish all this at once, but many of us will not calmly go home without completing things: missed tasks seem to look at us with reproach. It’s better to follow the advice of Laura Vanderkam, author of 168 Hours: You Have Much More Time Than You Think. She recommends that you select from the entire list no more than three, or in extreme cases, five really important and urgent cases. And ignore the rest.
“Think carefully about what is the priority for today's work day,” says Vanderkam. “It makes no sense to make a long list if there is not enough time for each item.”
And forget about new applications for smartphones, which supposedly help to make a to-do list and complete each item. Both Morgenstern and Vanderkam unanimously say: when you really need to roll up your sleeves and concentrate, it is better to use analog tools.
“A to-do list on plain paper — even if it’s printed on a printer — helps a lot of people, even young people from the digital generation, a lot,” says Morgenstern. “You can look at this list at any time, and you will not be tempted to check your mail, go to the social network and drown in the swamp that is most hindering your work, the Internet.”
An alarm clock is needed not only to wake up in the morning
Do not underestimate the capabilities of one of the simplest smartphone tools - an alarm clock. Morgestern argues that awareness of deadline and the inexorableness of time can help focus if you are easily distracted from business or you don’t know when to consider work completed: “If you are a perfectionist, you can set a goal:“ I will spend 90 minutes and no more ", - and set the alarm. Or, for example: "I will work for two hours and only then check the mail."
Which brings us to the idea that ...
Is it time to tie up with mail?
When was the last time you wanted more emails? Probably in childhood, when they dreamed of correspondence with their favorite singer.
You probably think that the times of difficult relationships have remained in the student past. But this is not so. The most destructive relationship you have with your own mail. It requires constant attention. She took up all your space - your work computer, laptop, smartphone and tablet. It’s like a jealous partner who constantly asks: “Why are you not paying attention to me?”
“E-mail is a lot of concern, constantly distracting,” says Morgenstern, who recommends excluding mail checking in the first hour after waking up and the first hour of every business day. - This is the most convenient way of procrastination, that is, putting off affairs for later. But this process can be controlled and quit mail. If you start the day with replies to letters, you will not be able to enter proactive mode. ”
It's not about you. It's all in your mail. You just need to get out of the mail.
Plan your work time three days in advance, including time to leave the office
It is useless to try to plan working hours at the beginning of the day - by that time, you are most likely already mired in the routine of tasks.
Instead, take a little time in the late afternoon to plan for tomorrow and a couple of days to come. This will not only help you cope with the current day, but also make it clear what your workload is now - is it worth it to take on something else, or you need to focus on what is already there.
“A three-day planning horizon is a good decision. In this case, you can safely decide whether to take on new tasks, says Morgenstern. “If you plan only an hour in advance, you will not have the opportunity to refuse anything.”
Thus, instead of mentally preparing for the upcoming day marathon, you can postpone some of the work for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow and spend a great free evening. If you plan to stay at work until all the things are done, then do not dream of an early departure home. Or think about spending the night at work.
“This is a very important point,” Morgenstern notes. “You will always have affairs and tasks, you need to be able to stop on time.”
When nothing else helps - sort!
“Sort,” experts advise in unison. You usually leave work on time, at a specific time, but suddenly after lunch, a task appears that requires your attention, but is not a matter of life or death for the company. In this case, you need to evaluate its significance and fulfill it during the remaining working time, and not leave it at the end of the working day.
Vanderkam sometimes recommends asking himself: “If the lights in our building were turned off at 6 o’clock, what would I try to do first of all?” And then take on these very things. The problem is that many do not ask this question until it is too late in the literal sense. Everyone dispersed, and they stay up late.
Every employee wants their overtime efforts in the evenings to be noticed. But in this case, it is very important to learn how to determine when it is really necessary. Especially because ...
Comments
Post a Comment