Cut Your Day in Half
If there was a single thing you could do this week … ONE THING … to cut your time (not results) in half at the office, would you do it? Try this tip for one week and let us know your results!
Prepare your (reasonable) action item list the day/night before … then simply make sure you STICK TO IT. How do you avoid interruptions and being pulled to “put out fires” that somehow come up EVERY day? How do you avoid the tempting office gossip in your neighbor’s cubical? How do you keep everyone out of your office who either wants to vent about their day or talk about the latest celebrity gossip (or other non-work-related news)? Read below for tips and tricks I have personally utilized at my office and had great results.
Talk with colleagues before-hand and let them know you’re experimenting with your productivity levels. Ask them to help you this week by documenting any requests (rather than interrupting you in person or via phone call, text message, instant message, etc.)
Now, close your office door to focus on your reasonable to do list for that day. Let your colleagues know that if they are delivering hard-copy documents to you (rather than via email), they should be placed in an inbox affixed to the outside of your office door/cubical so you will not be interrupted. You may have to turn off your cell phone if you receive frequent interrupting calls. If this is too much – at least put it on ’silent’.
Alternatively, you could book a shared conference room (if that’s an option at your office) so that you’re entirely removed from your desk for this time period. Put it on your calendar so your boss doesn’t think you’ve disappeared and everyone knows where you are. For some reason, co-workers will be less likely to interrupt you in a designated “meeting” room than in your office. If you move to a conference room, only take documents/tools that pertain to your action items for that day … which will help protect YOU from distracting YOURSELF (I have been guilty of this too!)
If you work the standard “9-5″, you will spend half that time (until 1pm) sticking to (and completing!) your reasonable to do list for the day, then you can indulge in a relaxed lunch hour.
Assure your co-workers that you will check your email and inbox between 2-3pm each day, which will allow you time to schedule those items, depending on priority level, into your “action item list” later that week.
The next day – REPEAT! Try this for one week and respond to this blog with your results! We hope that you’re more productive and LESS STRESSED … which leads to a better work-life balance … which is our main goal here at No Stress Work!