Ever felt like you had to work even while you’re on the loo?
image source
You've been given a project. The dateline's tight. They want the thing sealed and wrapped up with a red ribbon by Friday. The odds look insurmountable. You'd like to put it off, but if you don't get it done, you'll look like a complete goof. Chances are, if you don't make a good impression with the bosses, there goes this year's bonuses.
Your kids are screaming at you to take them out, your spouse isn't happy that you're putting in all this extra time at the office. And to make things worse, your favourite football team's playing key matches this weekend.
So what are you going do now?
Fail to Plan, and You Plan to Fail
Do you have any idea where the project's headed? If you have a rough idea of its potential or possible movement, start there. Once you know what needs to be done, everything else follows.
Break Things Up
Start by breaking up the task into phases. Stick to three or four phases. Then break each phase up into separate activities. You'll need to know what exactly needs doing.
Prioritize
Know what's important and do those first. Sieve out tasks which are ESSENTIAL and therefore, CRITICAL to the entire project and be responsible for those.
Box things up.
Most of us have the tendency to focus too much on one problem and only to lose track of time. Give yourself 30 minutes to each problem solving task. If it seems like its not going anywhere, solve another problem or work on another task.
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
We may work in cubicle farms, but we are not alone. To succeed in life , we need help of others. Just remember that you get what you give, so if you ask for help now, be prepared to return the favour in future. It helps if you have a running tally of who did what for you and when so that you can clear your karma every quarter or so.
Filter Your Emails
Almost all email service providers provide filters which allow you to direct specific emails to certain folders. I like to set them up according to key appointment holders - such as the Big Boss (CEO), other Major Bosses (Regional Heads), Minor Bosses but still Important people (Department Heads) etc - I respond to the Bosses emails first. Then I respond to anything which involves me. For that I have special folders dedicated to the projects or stuff which I oversee is going to involve me. I use filters based on ‘Subject'. Sometimes, if it gets all too complicated just group them by ‘Departments' and further subcategorize them into functional groups. So Advertising gets a folder, Accounting gets one, and so does Development. The point is that we shouldn't be spending so much time looking for that one email, we need a system to classify important emails for easy recall.
Get Up Earlier
I know it sounds insane. You had a rough day yesterday, and if you can, why not sleep in a little? Well, researchers have proven that people who wake up earlier and go to bed sooner are not only healthier but on the whole are better colleagues and bosses. Let's say you get up at 6.30am every morning and get into bed at midnight after watching some late night tv. Why not go to bed at 11 pm instead and get up at 5.30am? That extra hour or so you can use to type up some emails, prep for the day or workout.
Multitask
We spend a lot of time commuting, so why not stick some podcasts or audiobooks on your iPod and you'll squeeze in a stimulating "read" while on the treadmill!
Remember there are some things which are important and others which are not. The wise man knows the difference between the two, the practical man gets it done and the fighter in us sees it through.
