Are you tired and frustrated by your lackluster attitude at work and the way your work just seems to pile up over weekends? Perhaps it is time to adopt some new habits to help you on your way to making a real impact at work, that will lessen the load and have you feeling much more motivated about the workplace.
1. Plan in advance
Before you decide to pack your bags at the end of the day, give yourself 5-10 minutes where you plan tasks for the following day. Be smart about how you plan tasks and prioritize the most important ones for first thing in the morning. This will give you a plan of action so that you know immediately where to start from the moment that you walk into the office and so you don’t feel overwhelmed and flustered early in the day. Take a moment of this time to reflect on what you have accomplished that day. It is important to celebrate the good productive days but also to
remind yourself that some days will be a little slow and even some progress is something, so do not get discouraged!
2. Clutter
Do not let your work area get too cluttered with unnecessary things. It will just slow you down even more and add to your stress levels. Throughout the day or when you take little breaks, take 5 minutes to just quickly reorganize a few things and then you will have no problem with a messy desk at all!
3. The ‘you’ factor
Figure out how you work and what you need to stay productive. Do you work in short bursts and then need a small break? Or do you work for long hours on end but then need a very long lunch break? Are you perhaps more productive in the early mornings or do you prefer working late at night instead? Figure out what you need so that you can make sure to keep the ball rolling.
4. Avoid distractions
That new game you downloaded on your phone? Maybe you should delete it or keep it on another device. Leave that book that you cannot seem to put down at home. Try not to let your phone distract you too much. It’s so easy to quickly check your emails on your phone and end up spending 30 minutes on social media by accident. Place your phone in one of your desk drawers if you’re feeling like it is making your hand itch. Out of sight out of mind, right?
5. Delegate tasks
Part of working in a team or even being a boss is telling people how they can help you out and lessen your load. So, delegate appropriately and give them clear instructions on which tasks they should perform to get the job done. If you are part of a team, it is also important to realize when you have too much on your plate and you have to slow down. Start learning the habit of saying no when you are unable to help, there is only so much that can be done in a day, after all.
6. Working from home
Is working from home perhaps an option for you? Many people find that they are more productive when they are in their own space and when there aren’t any people that can interrupt them unnecessarily. It also means that you would not have to attend all those unnecessary meetings that are probably filling up your day. If this is an option and you can function well at home, definitely give this a go!
