Many people are rushed off their feet all day but achieve very little.
These people are caught in the activity trap: they confuse busy-ness with productivity; they can’t say “no” to others and often feel indispensable.
Unfortunately, the more you agree to take on, the more people will expect you to do.
Productive people often control their workload and make sure that all of their time adds value to what’s important. They have a great understanding of the impact that can be made by effective time management.
I remember an article in the Washington Post how Phil Libin, chief executive of the note-taking and archiving software Evernote, told PC Magazine that he gives himself a break by not working in the air anymore. “Like everyone else, I used to just work on airplanes—I’d use that as a time to catch up on things,” he said in a video interview with the publication. “And I stopped. I basically said when I’m on a plane, I won’t work. I’ll read, I’ll play video games, I’ll sleep, I’ll watch movies, but I don’t work. It makes me look forward to flying. I can get off a long flight, and actually be kind of relaxed.”
But here are my 5 top tips to help you to control your workload:-
1.Plan your time
Many people feel it’s pointless to plan their day or week, especially when they work in a large reactive environment
However, a plan is important to keep you focused on the things that matter most. If you don’t schedule your time, you’ll end up simply reacting to other people and other events as they arise.
If you have a plan (even if you need to change it), you’re remembering to take your own needs into consideration.
When planning your day or week leave around 20% of your time unscheduled. This will allow you to fit in those unexpected or unplanned, reactive tasks without having a massive impact on what you need to achieve.
2.Be decisive
Once you have decided to allocate your time to something then focus on it – and get it done!
Stop creating excuses to justify to yourself why you should delay starting a task.
Make decisions and stick to them so you don’t need to keep revisiting the same piece of work.
3.Focus on ‘Can-do’s’
Many people are overwhelmed by the size or number of tasks they have to achieve.
Rather than concern yourself with everything, focus your attention and energy on those things that are directly in your control.
Worrying about the things over which you have no influence will simply drain your time and energy.
Identify what you CAN do and what you can’t and put your effort into those things that are within your control.
Control the controllables.
4.Take a break
Working around the clock may seem like the only way to keep on top of your workload but it isn’t helpful in the long term.
Your mind and body need time to rest.
Taking time away allows you to relax and whilst you are doing something else, your unconscious (and more creative) brain so often kicks into life and gives you that ‘breakthrough’ that you need.
If you can’t take a break, make a change. Work on something different. A change is (almost) as good as a rest!
5.Avoid ‘saving’ others
Many people are their own worst enemies when it comes to taking on work they shouldn’t. Out of loyalty, kindness, friendship or a feeling of duty, many people just can’t resist the temptation to leap in and ‘rescue’ others too quickly.
Offering to help is, of course, a good thing to do if you see a colleague struggling. However, you need to balance this with letting them take responsibility for their own problems.
If you DO offer help, be specific what you will do, for how long and when you will step back. Otherwise, some people will simply allow you to keep doing their work for them.
Click here for details and to register for the new Creativedge Training Time Management Virtual Training Course, http://www.creativedgetraining.co.uk/virtual-open-courses/time-management-part-1-virtual-training-course/
For more Top Tips, visit Appstore https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/top-10-tips/id796349890?mt=8 or Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elixsoft.creativedge
