The FINANCIAL — Do you spend too much time in the office and too little time with your family and friends?
Are you constantly running behind schedule? Do you come home very tired, but without actually having accomplished anything at work? Are you overwhelmed? Maybe it is time for you to rethink your working habits. In this article, I’ll give you a little peek into what you can do to regain control of your working life, with three key techniques: focus, disconnect, and controlled chaos.
Focus — One method that many people use to get more done is multitasking. Why do one thing, if you can do two things at one, and get twice as much work done? The problem with multitasking is that humans are notoriously bad at it: our brains are just not wired to be good at it. In fact, when you multitask, your productivity drops so much that you would be better off just doing one task after another. Answering e-mails and talking to someone on the phone at the same time might seem like a good use of your time, but it really isn’t. Focus on one thing at a time, and try to be completely present in the moment.
Focus doesn’t just apply to tasks, but also to projects and responsibilities. I often see people who want to do everything at once, and be a “superman”. Often this ends in failure: people who take on too many projects or responsibilities at once often end up delivering mediocre results. Do you really need to take up that new responsibility or part-time project? Often overcommitment comes from a distrust of others: you think that they won’t be able to perform as well as you. Let go of this fear, and learn to delegate, to be able to focus on what really matters and on what only you can do.
Disconnect — With modern technology, the temptation to be connected 24/7 is huge. Why not check your e-mail on your smartphone one more time? Why not look at a few more e-mails? Do you check your phone immediately after waking up, like many of us? A venture capitalist once said, “if the first thing you touch in the morning is not yourself or your partner, you’ve got a problem”. Of course there are times when you absolutely need to be connected, but if it becomes a habit this is detrimental to both those around you – who will never get your full attention – and to yourself, because you never get the chance to recharge.
Controlled chaos — There are plenty of books that teach you exactly how to set up systems to keep everything that you do organized. Great, and please use them if you like them, but if you are spending more time on controlling your systems than actually doing what you’re paid to do, the entire point of having a system is lost. Find something that works for you, but make sure it is simple, and that you don’t spend too much time on it. Some people like organization, but a lot of people are quite disorganized. If you’re one of those people, trying to put everything you do in a very rigid system will cause a lot of pain. Instead, try to control your chaos, and start with simple steps, like making a to-do list and maintaining a calendar. Trying to do too much at once will only lead to frustration.
Focus, disconnect and control your chaos the next time you are stressed and overwhelmed. Take some of the small steps that I mentioned and become more productive, less stressed, and happier!
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