I’ve tried many different ways to streamline the working day over the years. Anything that can create more efficiencies, better productivity, less time and energy wastage, less stress, and just generally a happier me? Bring it. I would also rather have a lunch break than not; I like to try and leave work on time most days; and I would rather feel relaxed throughout the day than as highly strung as a guitar. Oh, yes – all of these things are possible. Believe it or not.
Here’s the five simple habits I’ve learnt that effectively help me to streamline my working days:
Do the toughest action first
As long as you have a number of actions in the same order of priority, this is my number one rule. The hardest action, or the one you least desire to do, is always best done first. The mental space you free up from getting that task off your workload is extremely valuable. It’s way too easy to procrastinate by checking emails, returning non-urgent phone calls, or whatever. That being said, you should always prioritise your day. This is my second simple habit, and is hugely effective.
Prioritise
Pretty much everyone has trouble with this early on in their careers. It’s human nature – we are inclined towards the tasks we like best, or those we think will be most effective. Sometimes, the priority and these tasks are not one and the same (unfortunately). Sometimes we just have to do what has to be done. It’s really important to look at your workload in its entirety, and prioritise realistically. Usually, someone will lose out in this process so you’ll need to do a bit of people management here. Make sure you set expectations early on about what you can and can’t do. If you leave it until the end, that’s when people can become disappointed – so it’s best to dodge this bullet before you get there.
Keep up-to-date with admin and reporting as you go
I find that leaving administration and reporting tasks to build up can start to seem like a massive ordeal, creating needless brain clutter. Try to maintain your administrative tasks as you go; five minutes per day, or after each task, is better than having a whole bunch of emails to go through at the end of the week/month/quarter to try to figure out what you did when you have to report back. Keep a tally, whether it’s a spreadsheet or a document, of all of the actions you have on the go and when they were completed. You’ll know exactly what is going on with every area of your workload and can report back at a moment’s notice when required.
Plan and prepare
Whether you have a presentation, an interview, an important meeting, or even just a standard meeting, it’s so important to be prepared. Unless you’re one of those people that can just come up with a really fabulous speech or idea on the fly (I’m sure some of you are – although usually that comes after many years of working!), then preparedness is best to reduce nerves, anticipate any probing questions in advance, and have a solid standing on what you’re going to say. Being prepared also shows a high level of efficiency.
Have fun
Being really bored or disliking what you are doing intensely can lead to becoming really demoralised. If you’re disliking what you’re doing, that’s fair enough. But try not to latch on to the emotional response of this. The more you focus on a negative sensation, the bigger it starts to become in your life. The best way to handle negative states in the workplace is to accept that it’s happening but create a detachment between yourself and it. As in, you are not the negative state. There is a really great 10-minute self-love and self-protection meditation by Melissa Ambrosini that I love – check it out at her website here.
Having a laugh with your colleagues and not taking yourself too seriously can be great ways to incorporate more fun into your working environment. Also, making an effort to celebrate wins and successes, having lunch with friends or co-workers, and networking regularly to extend the people you connect with can all help to bring more fun into your day. When you’re having fun, it’s easy to be in a state of high engagement and positivity – and it’s simply just easier to get things done.
How do you streamline a busy work day?
