WORK TIPS

WORK TIPS

Tips

• Don’t allow yourself to be too overwhelmed. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a short break (even if it's only long enough to take a deep breath), center your thoughts and energy, and focus on a smaller piece of the task.
• Avoid the need to rush, if possible. Try to include ample time when planning your tasks. If you have run short of time, it isn't the end of the world. Do as much as you can in the time you have left, doing the most important things first.
• Try not to sacrifice quality, but don't insist on perfection, either. Many times, an adequate product released on time is more desirable than a exceptional product released after the assigned date.
• If you save time by working quickly, you can use the extra time to tackle lower priorities, get ahead of other work, or help the people who helped you through the last crunch.
• If you are choosing your own goals, choose them wisely. It's all right to challenge yourself, but choose goals you can reasonably accomplish with the skills and resources available to you.
• Think twice before giving up. Often, pushing past an obstacle will give you more momentum to continue.
• Try to stick to your plan, but don't be inflexible about changing it if conditions, priorities, or requirements change.
• Most tasks become faster and easier with practice, especially low level ones. If your tasks are centered on computers, for instance, try to learn to touch type and use commands fluently so that you can focus your energy on higher-level tasks.
• Make sure you have enough time to do everything. Plan out the things you need to do accordingly.
• A bit of planning, however informal will often more than make up for whatever bit of time it consumes. Plans need not be exhaustive, just enough to serve as a guide.
• One easy thing to curtail is irrelevant chatter. If you need to meet with others to plan or coordinate your tasks, do so, but remind everyone to keep the conversation to the necessary minimum. Otherwise, save the chatting for lunchtime on a day when you're not in a hurry.