Do you have more to do on the job than you can possibly get done? Is your heavy workload causing you to feel stressed, overwhelmed and exhausted? If you don’t address the issue, then your long work hours can lead to burnout. Burnout can be detrimental to your job and your physical and emotional health.
If you find that your workload has increased beyond your capacity, then it’s time to meet with your boss to address the issue. Here are key points to cover in your meeting.
- Assure your Boss of your Commitment to Work – Explain to your boss that your work is important. You’re feeling overloaded with work, and you want to continue to be productive and perform at a high level rather than burn out.
- Clarify Job Expectations and Priorities – The first step is to make sure you’re clear on your job expectations and priorities. Make a list of your most important work projects. Review this list with your manager, and together prioritize your work priorities. You’ll need to focus most of your time and attention on these priorities.
- Cut out any Non-Value-Added Activities – Review your job description. Make a note of any tasks you perform that are not part of your job description. Your boss may not even be aware of the extra duties you’ve been saddled with. Then determine if there are any tasks that can be eliminated. Maybe you’re expected to write a weekly report, but you know that no one ever reads the report. If it’s not adding value, then get rid of it.
If, after implementing these changes, you find that your workload still requires countless hours a week to complete, then schedule another meeting with your manager to explore other options, such as hiring an assistant or intern, or balancing the workload by assigning it to someone else.
By addressing your heavy workload, you’ll be able to meet your work commitments and deadlines without burning out!
As busy working women, we oftentimes put ourselves last. We were brought up to be nurturers and caregivers, so this is what we do best. However, sometimes we are so focused on meeting the needs of others, that we don’t take good care of ourselves – especially when it comes to getting enough rest or exercise.
The airlines realize the importance of taking care of oneself. At the beginning of each flight, they go through a safety spiel in which they tell us to put on an oxygen mask in the unlikely event of an emergency. Then they go on to say, “If you are traveling with a small child, then put your mask on first and then assist your child”. The point is that we need to take care of ourselves in order to take care of others.
Taking good care of yourself is critical to your emotional and physical health. If you’re not used to putting yourself first, how can you do so? Here are five tips.
1. Put yourself on the priority list. When you write your “to do” list, be sure to put yourself on the list. Write down something you can do just for yourself. Maybe it’s going for a short walk, listening to music, or reading a book.
2. Schedule it in your calendar. Not only put yourself on the list, but also schedule time on your calendar to do the things you want to do – like shopping or taking a Zumba class. Treat it like a meeting, so you can protect your “me” time.
3. Do it early. Things can get in the way of your personal time, so schedule it early before the complications of the day sidetrack you.
4. Find a partner. Whether it’s having a workout partner, meeting a friend for coffee, or attending a class, you’re more likely to make it happen if you’re accountable to someone else.
5. Go on a mini-retreat. Every once in awhile we need more extended time to ourselves. Take time out once every few months to spend a day at the beach, in the mountains, at a day spa — or wherever will rejuvenate you.
By practicing these tips, you’ll be able to be the best you can be in your various roles – as a wife, mother, friend, and worker.
Are you making the most of your time at work? Many employees struggle because they don’t know their priorities. Everything seems important, so they end up “spinning their wheels”, being busy but not necessarily productive. At the end of the day they feel beaten up by the daily urgencies.
How can you best prioritize your activities? Here’s a tool that will help you to prioritize how you spend your time based upon importance and urgency.
Prioritization Matrix
Urgent Not Urgent
|
A
Top Priority |
B
Productivity |
|
C
Needless Interruptions |
D
Waste of Time |
Quadrant A – Important and Urgent
These are tasks which MUST be done, such as deadline-driven projects, reports, and meetings, crises, and problems that must be immediately addressed. Examples are the system goes down or you get a call from school saying that your child broke his arm on the playground. Therefore, these things are a top priority.
Quadrant B – Important but not Urgent
These are activities such as planning, preparation, prevention, recreation and relationship-building. Examples include strategic planning, preparing for an important presentation, or needed recreation. These activities improve your productivity. The result is better health, improved performance, better relationships, and more balance.
Quadrant C – Urgent but not Important
These activities include other people’s minor issues, unnecessary reports, and unimportant meetings, phone calls, and mail. They are often characterized by needless interruptions.
Quadrant D – Not Urgent and Not Important
These activities include busywork, phone calls and mail from solicitors, and excessive TV watching or Internet surfing. These are often a waste of time.
Here’s how you can use this tool to manage your time.
Quadrant A – Since it’s both urgent and important, you need to address it immediately.
Quadrant C – Try to manage or minimize these needless interruptions.
Quadrant D – Since these are neither important nor urgent, avoid these activities altogether.
Quadrant B – You want to spend more time in this quadrant, which will boost your productivity and improve your balance. So block out time on your calendar for these activities.
Consider how much time you’re spending in each of these quadrants. In order to make the best use of your time, try to spend less time in Quadrants C & D, since they aren’t important, and spend more time in Quadrant B. If you do, you’ll realize great gains in your productivity.
How do you define success? Do you define success as making a certain amount of money? Having a certain job title? Awards for professional achievement? Or do you define success in terms of your relationships with others – family and friends? Or service to others?
Here are some definitions of success:
“Success is being the best in your chosen field.”
“Success is serving God and your fellow man.”
“You’re not successful until someone brags they sat beside you in grade school.”
“She has achieved success who has lived long, laughed often, and loved much.”
Thomas Wolfe defined success this way: “If a man has a talent and learns how to use it … he has gloriously succeeded and won a satisfaction and a triumph few men ever know.”
Do you agree or disagree with any of these statements? Which of these statements resonate with you?
You need to determine how you will measure your own success. How you define success determines how you live your life. Your mission, values, and definition of success translates into everyday decisions. Decisions such as what job you’ll pursue, how much overtime you’ll work, how much time you’ll spend with family or friends. It also determines what time you’ll devote to community projects or to self-improvement. When you’re clear about what success means to you, then you’re able to make decisions more easily about how to spend your time and what activities to get involved in. Ultimately, your quality of life will depend upon your pursuit of success as you define it.
Reflect on your life. What would you like to have? What would you like to accomplish? Who would you like to become? Jot down your thoughts, and then synthesize them into an axiom you want to live by. By doing so, you’ll feel a sense of purpose and mission.
How about you? How do you define success? Please share with other readers.
We all have so much to do, that we can’t possibly get it all done. Sometimes we get so busy with the day-to-day activities – work, chores, carpools, school, homework, etc. – that we neglect the most important things. We oftentimes feel pulled in a lot of different directions. So it’s important we focus on the right things that will help us achieve our goals and purpose.
Therefore, we need to focus on the important. Lee Iacoca has been quoted as saying, “If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.” So how do you focus on the important? You need to carve out time for your priorities. Rather than prioritize your schedule, schedule your priorities. Actually schedule time on your calendar for the important things.
For example, you may have an important project at work, but you can’t seem to get to it, because you’re spending time answering the phone, responding to e-mails, and helping your co-workers who come to you for assistance. Then block out time on your calendar for your project. Make an appointment with yourself; treat it like a meeting. Forward your phone to voicemail, so you can focus on your important project.
If you say your spouse is important, but you’re more like two ships passing through the night, then schedule a date night once a week. This helps assure you’ll spend quality time together at least once a week.
Spending time together as a family may be important to you, but elusive. Your afternoons and evenings may be spent driving your kids to soccer practice, dance, youth group, and so on. You can’t even remember the last time the whole family had dinner together. If spending time together as a family is important, then schedule family time each week. We do this in my family. Sunday night is family night in our home. We plan a fun activity each week – such as playing a game, watching a movie, going out to dinner, or going out for ice cream.
By planning and scheduling time on your calendar for your important priorities, you’ll feel a greater sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. What important priorities are you neglecting? Identify one priority you’ll spend time on this week, and share with other readers what you’ll do to focus on your important priority.