The new year is here. It’s a good time to reassess not only personal goals designed to improve our health and happiness, but professional ones meant to further our careers. If you’ve been wondering how you can achieve more at work, listen up. Here are ten tips:
Table of Contents
Get Up Early
High achievers set their alarms and hit the ground running. They don’t lounge around but instead use the quiet time when others are sleeping to get stuff done!
Make Lists
Start each morning by itemizing your priorities for the day and check them off as you work through them. Some projects will undoubtedly take more time than others to complete; try to break those responsibilities into smaller, manageable tasks that you can start and finish in a day or two. Then, start the following day with a new list detailing the project’s next set of goals and any other tasks you still need to get done. Being able to actually see your progress will keep you focused and motivated.
Do Hard Things First
Most of us lose steam as the day wears on. Try to schedule time for your harder tasks in the morning when you are still energized and mentally ready to work. Leave the shorter, easier tasks for the end of the day.
Tackle Similar Tasks Together
Rather than waste time running back and forth (both figuratively and literally) from one task to another, do similar tasks at the same time of day. If you know you need to call multiple people, take an hour and call all of them. Similarly, organize meetings for one day and take the time to write any reports on another if possible. A dedicated time to accomplish similar jobs means you’re not wasting time starting and stopping other ones. Instead, you can concentrate and get more done.
Delegate and/or Ask for Help
Productive people don’t believe they know it all; they let people help them. If you’re charged with writing an article on immigrant visas but don’t have a clue about EB-2 requirements, then call an attorney; don’t spend needless time trying to learn the law when you can save time by asking someone else for help. Collaboration not only teaches valuable communicative skills, it frees up time to manage other (more important) responsibilities and can even encourage valuable networking connections for the future.
Downsize
Remove clutter. Get rid of distractions like messy workspaces, negative colleagues, chaotic schedules and any other circumstances that inhibit your ability to work comfortably and effectively.
Be Early
Make it a habit to arrive early to meetings, to beat deadlines and to volunteer your expertise. This not only permits you time to address the unexpected, it allows you the best chance of seizing an unexpected opportunity.
Seek Knowledge
High achievers don’t rest. Offer to attend a seminar or mentor an apprentice or even just read a book! People who continuously look for ways to increase their knowledge base, who compound their skills through practical experience, as well as extra curricular activity, are able to to move farther ahead more quickly; they simply know more than average.
Share Your Goals
It’s harder to fail if you have someone holding you accountable. Share your goals with a mentor, a colleague or even a friend or a spouse. It will be a lot harder to fail if you know someone else is invested in your success.
Take Breaks
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Take time to relax, reevaluate and regroup. The most productive people set aside time to recharge their batteries so that they can remain committed to and excited about their obligations!
About Carson Derrow
