Think of good ways to get more done in less time
March 11, 2009 by admin
Filed under Getting Ahead
Make a daily checklist of everything that needs to be done. Put an asterisk next to anything that must be done immediately. Next, see if there is anything on the list that can be delegated to someone else, or is someone elses job. Then just start with the most important things first, working on the others in the afternoon, and if there are still items left the next day, add them to that list and get them done that day.
By spending five constructive minutes writing everything down, prioritizing, and then checking things off when completed, you will get a better hold on your work. Always, I mean always, take your lunch break, getting outside in the fresh air if possible. This will help you get refueled for the afternoon work.
If, after three weeks, you are still consistently running on overload, take the lists to your boss, and ask if he/she can come up with any ways to help get this done. Tell them you want to do your work efficiently, and paying you overtime is more expensive than delegating some of the tasks to someone else. (If there is someone who doesn’t seem to be as busy, but they are qualified to take it off your hands, suggest them. What you don’t want is to have to train someone to do your work.)
I was in store management then direct sales straight commission, and my very income depended on getting tons of work done. This eliminated the stress of “I have a million things to do!!!!” and replaced it with a very easy to follow system. You can buy fancy planners, but really all you need is a 8 1/2 by 11 notepad, and a pen. Saving and reviewing your lists can help you in the long run.
Also, it always seems like there is a freak day where there is nothing to really do. (Blizzard, power failure, etc) Use these days to organize, file, and make your work space as clean and functional as possible, and work ahead on things you know will be coming up.