5 Ways To Make Absolutely Sure You Get Nothing Done Today

» left by Anonymous 3 years 237 days ago.

waow, u wont believe how much i laughed, reading through this article!!!

 

i ran a search on google, with the words 'how to get nothing done'... out of desperation, anger, frustration nd problems facing me daily from mounting pile of works yet undone.

 

and here was the result.... these article!

 

i will ofcourse implore those who see this article, to also read these helpful tips i got from elsewhere...cant remember, else i would have pasted the link itlself too.

 

...

 

Instead of grumbling about how "swamped" you are, have you ever stopped to consider why you spend your time the way that you do?

 

Techniques for handling three possible answers to this question -- tradition, requests for assistance, and social calls -- will be presented in this article.

 

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Tradition

 

When performing routine tasks, we often give little thought to the "bigger picture." This holds true whether we inherited the responsibility from a predecessor or have been doing it ourselves for years. After all, the procedure made perfect sense when first established! Circumstances may have since changed, however, resulting in an outdated -- or even unnecessary -- activity.

 

Examine your current tasks in relation to the following four questions:

 

* Why?

 

A helpful way to determine whether you must continue to perform a certain activity is to consider what the consequence of not performing it might be.

 

* How?

 

When developing alternate techniques to perform an activity that cannot be eliminated, it's important not to limit your options to those that are only slightly different than the status quo. Be creative. You might find that the same results can be achieved -- or even improved -- with a time-effective method that is radically different than your current one.

 

* Who?

 

Perhaps you are unable to accomplish as much as you'd like because you take on more than can reasonably be handled by one person. If this is the case, you may wish to consider delegating some of your work to others.

 

* When?

 

Unfortunately, some routine tasks are unavoidable. On a positive note, because they generally do not require concentration or large blocks of uninterrupted time, there is no real need to schedule them. Instead, perform them during idle time, such as between meetings or while on hold during a telephone call.

 

Requests for assistance

 

Like most people, you probably accept every "favor" that is asked of you. Rather than automatically saying "yes" to a new project, follow these four steps:

 

1. Listen carefully to the request; be sure that you have a complete understanding of what is being asked of you.

 

2. If your decision is to decline the project, say so politely but firmly. If you are unsure whether to accept the assignment, say that you need time to think about it. Only commit to the task if you are absolutely certain you can do it without causing the rest of your responsibilities to suffer.

 

3. If you have either turned down the project or postponed your decision, give reasons. It is generally sufficient to say: "I have some other commitments that may interfere." You are less likely to offend the person making the request if you explain your inability to accept the assignment.

 

4. Offer alternative ways in which the person's needs can be met.

 

You should by no means say "no" to every request, and, of course, should consider the circumstances -- particularly who is making the request and the consequences of declining -- before rejecting any assignment.

 

Social calls

 

It's inevitable. Co-workers drop by your office or workspace whenever it's convenient for them without regard for your schedule or workload. And even if the purpose of the visit is work-related, it can quickly turn personal.

 

The first step in beating this time-waster is to anticipate and take preventive action. Some approaches for reducing the number of unplanned visits by others are:

 

* Providing your staff with the authority to handle typical or routine situations as they see fit, only calling on you in circumstances that are out of the ordinary;

 

* Arranging your furniture so that your desk cannot be easily seen from the doorway;

 

* Removing extra chairs from your workspace (or placing papers on top of them);

 

* Openly communicating your preference for scheduled appointments; and

 

* Limiting your "open door" policy, or availability to answer questions, to a specific time period each day.

 

Sometimes, unfortunately, people just don't get the hint! Luckily, there are tactics to ensure that unplanned visits are short and to the point. Above all else, resist the urge to put down your pen and lean back in your chair, signaling that you welcome the interruption and are in the mood for small talk!

 

* Immediately stand up when the person enters your workspace and remain standing for the duration of his or her visit.

 

* Politely ask the visitor "How can I help you?" instead of "How are you?" or "What's up?"

 

# Tell the individual you have only a few free minutes and suggest scheduling a mutually convenient time to continue the conversation -- in his or her office where you can control the length of the meeting. If the visit was purely social, the person will be highly unlikely to take you up on that offer.

 

# Use concluding phrases such as "I think we've covered everything" and "If that's all, I have other pressing business to get back to."

 

# When a particular person repeatedly interrupts you, make it a point not to look up from what you are doing. If you consistently continue to read, write, or type when he or she visits, the message that you are too busy for (or not interested in) chit-chat will very quickly get across.

 

After implementing some of the strategies described in this article, take a moment to revisit the question posed earlier: Why do you spend your time the way that you do? Your answer is now more likely to be focused on you -- your goals, your career, and your success -- and less on outside factors and other people. Isn't the point of time management, after all, to make the items on your "wish list" a reality?

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