How’s work going for you at the moment? Doing the job of two? Even though you spend a good deal of time there, it’s important to leave time for other things in life. I mean, no-one ever got to the end of their days and listed their regrets as “oh gee, I wish I’d spent more time at the office!” Which reminds me of my first ever school girl rock and roll crush. Want to know who? Follow this link. Oh dear…
If, however, you are reaching overload at the office, there are a few little techniques you can employ to get more out of your day (naturally) and prevent yourself from burning out.
Eat the frog
In his book, Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, Brian Tracy tells us that; “The most valuable tasks you can do each day are often the hardest and most complex. But the payoff and rewards for completing these tasks efficiently can be tremendous.”
Tracy explains his theory of why we should “eat the frog” first thing. By this he means to pick the biggest, ugliest task on our list that we are avoiding. The task you are avoiding is often the one that needs to be done the most. The avoidance tendency comes from the fact that it’s difficult and daunting. It’s daunting because there are some risks involved or we know it’s very important. So, the first thing we do every day should be to “eat the frog,” then the day has to get better!
The Pareto Principle
Originally, the Pareto Principle referred to the observation that 80% of Italy’s wealth belonged to only 20% of the population.
Basically, this is about prioritizing. The principle says that we get 80% of our results from 20% or our actions.
I love the 80:20 rule.
• 20% of the input creates 80% of the result
• 20% of the workers produce 80% of the result
• 20% of the customers create 80% of the revenue
• 20% of the bugs cause 80% of the crashes
• 20% of the clothes in your wardrobe are worn 80% of the time!
• I’m good 80% of the time which leaves 20% of the time to be a little naughty…
To apply this principle, what are the top priorities you have for today?
Write down your top six priorities of the day—and then cross out the bottom five. Work on the top one for 90 minutes first thing in the morning. Every time you’re about to waste time on things like Twitter or checking email, write down what you are about to do (to stop you in your tracks).
Let yourself daydream
By ‘zoning out’ periodically we are able to replenish our blood glucose (the brains only fuel supply) and have a bit of a neural reset. It’s where imagination and creative thought for troubling problems can be suddenly solved.