Why working better doesn't mean working harder

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Five tips for those who want to grow professionally and at the same time save time and energy to achieve personal goals.

Leveraging the Bullet Journal system, shortening meetings, setting limits on tasks - we've heard a lot of time management tips. But with the desire to keep up, are we not losing the bigger picture? For example, plans to improve their qualifications or open their own business. Let's take a look at a few tricks that can help you work smarter, not harder.

Stop snoozing your alarm

I really dislike the so-called Snooze. In general, I learned about this function of the alarm clock from my husband. He often uses it, but he understands that it makes us feel worse in the morning. That's why.

During the morning hours, the sleeping body goes through REM sleep (also known as Rapid Eye Movement). It is on her that most dreams fall. Research has shown that if we wake up at this time, we tend to feel more tired during the day. By delaying the alarm, you are subjecting yourself to this torture many times. You will be haunted by “sleep inertia,” a condition that the Time course of sleep inertia dissipation in human performance and alertness at Harvard School of Medicine found can last up to 2-3 hours.

In order not to get bogged down in inertia, turn off the alarm, stretch, feel the pleasant texture of the bed linen and how the muscles begin to work. Open the window and let in the daylight, start preparing breakfast and let the pleasant smells wake you up. Also, change the alarm volume to increasing so that the signal does not sound like a siren to you.

Take more time in the morning

How much is an individual question. For example, the author of the book "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" Robin Sharma came up with a technique 20-20-20: you wake up at 5 am every day and devote 20 minutes to physical activity, another 20 minutes - planning a perfect day and another 20 minutes - training.

Of course, you shouldn't practice getting up at five in the morning if you work until one in the morning. But if by this time you have had eight hours of sleep - try it! I confess: at first, Robin's scheme seemed fantastic to me. Exactly until the moment when in our office employees of the customer support department did not create the "Club for those who get up at five in the morning."

It is important to make sure that building a regimen does not deprive you of your morning enjoyment. For example, I really love "lazy" weekend mornings, and my most important daily ritual is to spend time with the kids before the start of the day. Morning is the time for me. The more calmly I spend it, the better I will show myself at work.

Exceed expectations

Imagine going to a cafe: you liked the food, the interior, the unobtrusive music in the background, and the waiter was nice enough. But what if the waiter notices that you are reading a book and puts an extra lamp on your table? Or, seeing your doubts about the choice of sauce for the dish, will bring you a spoonful of each - try it? This will surely exceed your expectations. Have you noticed how rarely we experience this? It's important to follow KPIs, but don't stop there. Analysts at the PWC consulting company in their guidelines warn Guide to key performance indicators: KPIs must change, since in the process of striving for them we gain access to more information.

Share experiences with colleagues

Knowledge professionals spend about 40% of their time in activities they describe as unimportant, monotonous, and annoying. These shocking numbers are the result of the Harvard Business Review's Make Time for the Work That Matters.

The solution to the problem is reasonable delegation. You can, of course, delegate the creation of the presentation to your subordinate. But wouldn't it be better to entrust this task to a colleague who is really into design? The result: you focus on the math and deliver the best analytics along with a good presentation. You might argue, "Well, of course, if shifting was that easy, everyone would be doing it." Researchers have found that psychologically it is easier for us to complete a task than to delegate it. We instinctively grasp on tasks that make us feel busy and more important.

Don't neglect personal goals

In any day planner, you will find a place for them - but remember to separate personal and work goals. Perhaps my fellow executives will criticize this approach, but I believe that personal goals are just as important as work goals.

Knowing your goals is already 50% of their fulfillment, and as a result, there are fewer disturbing thoughts. For example, that you didn’t make time for your partner because you were completing a report in the evening that you didn’t write earlier because you were too busy thinking that you weren’t spending enough time with your partner.

Salvation lies in self-discipline, and I'm not just talking about daily responsibilities. You can delve into yourself with the thoughts that you are not achieving what you want, although you would have achieved it a long time ago if you had systematized everything.

Do not shift your development as an employee onto the company - most of it depends on you. Divide all goals into small steps, update your to-do list before leaving the office, and your personal one before bed or in the morning. Highlight what matters most and get started when you are most productive. If your company doesn't care about your goals, pay special attention to them - don't let the things that matter to you overwhelm.