I looked through my previous entries and realized that we still did not make any practical step that could help us become more organized and change our attitude toward the way we spend our time. That’s a shame of mine, and thank you, my dear readers, for your great patience and continuous interest. Now, instead of going on talking about planning, scheduling, analyzing our daily routine and other boring concepts of time management, we will come strictly to the point and try to launch a small attack on our tardiness and slowness.
One thing I need to tell you before we begin. After reading several books on time management and trying all those tips they recommend, I realized that the best way to move ahead and achieve some progress is to make changes in life and introduce new rules gradually. No need to think that if you want to become more organized, you need to start the next day with 20 minutes of panning, thinking about the priorities, trying to fit the schedules and spending crazy efforts for this everything. No way! So, let’s come to action, ladies and gentlemen! Let’s see what we can do right away to save some minutes for effective work and for more effective leisure.
1. Have you ever thought that spending so much time for gathering yourself up and collecting your energies before you actually come to work in the morning is a serious waste of time? Many people have a habit of starting their working day with a cup of tea or coffee, a smoke or a little chat with the colleagues, but sometimes it takes really long, so their day begins much later than it could. Therefore, our first step will be directed on minimization of the time you need to focus and get to the point! For example, at the start of your working day you used to read the news online for 30 minutes or so. Try to decrease this time to 10 minutes and begin dealing with your tasks 20 minutes earlier than you usually do: most probably, you will notice positive changes in the end of the day.
2. It can fall into a little controversy with the previous idea, but frequently a special habit or ritual that we always practice before starting our working day, can be a good sign for our mind to get concentrated and come to work right away. A friend of mine starts her day with a cup of herbal tea, and another friend of mine always needs to listen to some hip-hop to feel refreshed in the morning. The main idea of this recommendation is to develop such a “hook” for your mind which will allow you not to delay your getting down to work (like watching news or chatting with friends), but ring the bells in your mind for immediate action. For example, if you start your day with a cup of coffee, you can drink it while you are checking out you business e-mails or cleaning your table from dozens of papers left from the day before. Make your morning ritual fit your type of work, and let it be a sign for your mind to get focused on your routine as soon as possible.
3. This is a new rule that will help us deal with small and not urgent, but very unpleasant tasks. For example, a single guy usually postpones doing such chores as ironing or taking out his garbage, a secretary can postpone writing an apology e-mail to the company’s potential client or talking to her tight-fisted boss about upgrading her computer. Sometimes we collect a plenty of such tasks on our shoulders that usually makes us nervous and increases pressure causing new stresses. Why to stand on this day by day? Make a new rule: eat a frog every day! Chose ONE task or duty that you’d really like to avoid doing, pull yourself together and accomplish this task. Make it a habit of yours and, believe me, the outcomes will be beyond your expectations. You will fell really relaxed and proud of yourself!
4. Finally, today’s last tip. Many people put off doing bulky and difficult tasks (pleasant or unpleasant) for the reasons we already know (“Don’t know where to begin!”, “No, I am unequal to this task!”, “Oh, it will take all of my time and I will get tired!”, “Hmmm, I’d better ask my boss, how to deal with this!”, “Hell, no! I will never manage with this!”, etc. etc.). First of all, stop making a mountain out of a molehill! Any huge task can turn into a simple list of activities. Break down your rock into small pieces and every day move away some of them. Than, in a week or two, your way will be clear and your formidable task will be completed without any worries and stresses.
I hope this helps.
At work, try to keep all your papers in special files with separators. Also, have a special file for all the papers which should be reviewed or corrected. Make a habit of tidying up your table before leaving office every evening.