Page 64 - The Connection Bridgewater Somerville Edition, September 2012

PAGE 64
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TIPS TO MAXIMIZE
YOUR TIME AT WORK
By: Patricia Diesel
Yes, I remember a simpler time in life
when I had the pleasure of experiencing
what a rotary telephone was, watching
TV in black and white, and milk being
delivered to our front porch.
This world gone by is now about 24-7
communications, a surplus of media
exposure and internet shopping.
Although I believe there are ongoing
debates about which lifestyle is pre-
ferred, it’s not hard to see how these can
be viewed as distractions which can ulti-
mately compromise our ability to per-
form efficiently on the job if we allow it.
With email, texting, Facebook, Twitter,
Amazon, etc., it’s easy to lose focus on
our tasks at hand in the workplace.
Here are some simple but effective ways
to keep you on track.
Set aside “me time”
Compartmentalizing your time gives you
the ability to create and absorb instead
of reacting to communication stimuli. It’s
probably a good idea to schedule “me
time” in the morning when you are
freshest and most alert. These quiet
moments can ease you into your day –
fully engaged and ready to accomplish
great things.
Create a clean workspace
If you want to be most efficient, you
need to be aware of your work environ-
ment. Organized files and neat desks go
a long way toward a work-conducive
environment. Perhaps soft background
music will help you focus and limit out-
side noise. Also, something as simple as
shutting the office door, or ‘holding all
calls’ for a specific amount of time will
sharpen your focus, enhance your cre-
ative thinking and help you get your
work done quicker.
Delegate and let it go
For those of us with a highly developed
sense of responsibility, it can be easy to
over-manage every task and project that
comes within our radar. Perhaps you fit
into this category and easily find yourself
adding more and more to your workload
throughout the day, by convincing your-
self, ‘this shouldn’t take long.’ Eventual-
ly, the sheer number of these tasks will
overwhelm even the most productive
person. Trust that your coworkers are
competent and capable of handling proj-
ects and meeting crucial deadlines with-
out your constant monitoring/micro-
managing.
Prioritize tasks
When overwhelmed with projects and
communications, try to prioritize tasks
using two types of lists:
1. Urgent tasks (to be
completed that day)
2. Future work (to be
completed that week)
With this game plan, projects on a strict
deadline will get your immediate atten-
tion, while any time left over will be put
toward achieving the goals you’ve made
for a later date. In this same vein, if you
make lists on a weekly, monthly, and
yearly time-line, you will have a bigger
picture of what needs to be done, taking
baby steps to accomplish future goals.
Block out time for correspondence
If you have an overabundance of daily
work emails and phone calls, it may be
best to set aside a regular time dedicated
to responding to those communications
perhaps an hour or two out of the day.
This way you can respond to everyone
effectively, without having your entire
day peppered with hastily answered calls/
emails in between other job responsibili-
ties and deadlines.
It’s probable that your work environment
will be somewhat chaotic at times – deal-
ing with co-workers and clients and oth-
ers make constant stimulation and dis-
tractions inevitable. Being aware of the
entire process, taking it all in, prioritizing
time and enhancing the quality of your
environment, will help you become more
productive and effective without going
crazy in the process!
About Patricia: Patricia Diesel is a leading
organizing expert and certified profession-
al life coach. As a national speaker and
best selling author, she is passionate
about helping people enhance the quality
of their life. To contact Patricia, call
(908) 766-9670, email @ patriciadiesel@
keepitsimplenow.com or visit her website
@ www.keepitsimplenow.com.
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