Are you feeling like a workaholic who is putting in too many hours with no end in sight? If so, you need to decide that your time is valuable and worth managing better. Below are some suggestions to get you started.
Managing each day
- Guard your high-energy time – Recognize the times when you do your best work and plan your day accordingly. This relieves stress and enables you to have a productive “get it done now” attitude. As a morning person, I try to use the first couple of hours to work on my highest-value projects.
- Delegate tasks – We are all unique. Remember that there are people who actually enjoy doing things that you do not. Detailed work is not my niche, so I have sought out valuable, detail-oriented associates to support me throughout my career. They are people who enjoy doing comprehensive functions. Trust those around you to handle the tasks you don’t want, and let it go.
- Debrief each day – Take 30 minutes near the end of each day to debrief. Collect information, delegate tasks that need to be done, and move unfinished business forward.
- Establish a relief day – Give yourself something to look forward to — designate a relief day. Mine is Friday, and I like to start that morning with no external meetings so I can focus on deep work. Then I plan the afternoon for light, fun, interactive social time. I think of it as my “one-foot-out-the-door” day.
- Preview your week on Sunday – Go over the week-ahead schedule on Sunday so you are ready to go Monday morning. Begin the week with a plan instead of reacting to the list of to-do items on your desk. You’ll be surprised how far ahead of your associates this places you.
Not a workaholic
As control of your workday improves, the workaholic label recedes. You will be pleased with how quickly stress loosens its grip on you.
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