Can’t separate the main from the secondary? Can’t say no to co-workers? Then you are likely to stay in the office until late. How to become an effective employee, tells Psychologies journalist and columnist Oliver Burkeman.
All experts and gurus of time management do not get tired of repeating the same main advice. Separate the important from the unimportant. Great idea, but easier said than done. If only because in the heat of affairs, everything seems to be extremely important. Well, or, let’s say, you somehow miraculously separated the important from the unimportant. And then your boss calls and asks you to do some urgent work. Try to tell him that this project is not on your list of top priorities. But no, don’t try it.
Embrace the immense
Bestselling author of The XNUMX Habits of Highly Effective People Stephen Covey1 recommends rephrasing the question. As soon as the unimportant in the flow of affairs is not found, then it is necessary to separate the important from the urgent. What, at least theoretically, can not be done, from the fact that it is simply impossible not to do it.
Firstly, it really gives a chance to properly prioritize. And secondly, it helps to draw attention to another important problem — lack of time. Often, prioritization serves as a disguise for the unpleasant fact that it is simply impossible to do the entire amount of necessary work simply by definition. And you will never get to the unimportant ones. If this is the case, then the best thing to do is to be honest with your management and explain that your workload is beyond your capacity.
“For most of us, the most effective period is the morning. Start the day and plan the hardest things.”
Energy instead of importance
Another useful tip is to stop considering cases in terms of their importance. Change the very system of evaluation, focusing not on significance, but on the amount of energy that their implementation will require. For most of us, the most effective period is the morning. Therefore, at the beginning of the day, you should plan things that require serious effort and high concentration. Then, as the “grip weakens”, you can move on to less energy-intensive tasks, whether it is sorting mail or making the necessary calls. This method is unlikely to guarantee that you will have time for everything. But, at least, it will save you from situations when you have to take on responsible matters at a time when you are simply not ready for this.
Mata-manu
Another interesting recommendation comes from psychologist Josh Davis.2. He proposes a method of «psychological distancing». Try to imagine that you are looking at yourself from a bird’s eye view. Close your eyes and imagine. See that tiny little man far below? It is you. And what do you think from a height: what should this little man focus on now? What to do first? It certainly sounds strange. But it is indeed an effective method.
And finally, the last one. Forget reliability. If colleagues (or managers) ask (or order) to put aside everything and join some important project of theirs, do not rush to be heroic. First, make sure employees and management are fully aware of what will be left undone as a result of your switch. In the long run, being able to say yes to the first call at the expense of the work you are doing will not improve your reputation in the least. Rather the opposite.
1 S. Covey “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Powerful Personal Development Tools” (Alpina Publisher, 2016).
2 J. Davis «Two Awesome Hours: Science-Based Strategies to Harness Your Best Time and Get Your Most Important Work Done» (HarperOne, 2015).