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MINDING YOUR OWN BUSINESS
Don Taylor is president and CEO
of Data Staar Communications in Amarillo, Texas, and co-author of
Up Against the Wal-Marts and Solid Gold Success Strategies For Your
Business. He can be reached at P.O. Box 67,
Amarillo, TX 79105
Having more fun and getting more done
By Don
Taylor
Your dream was to own your own business, and now you do. Your dream was to be your own boss, and now you are. Your dream was to work fewer hours and have more leisure time, but now you don’t.
You’ve already worked more than 50 hours this week. You wanted to spend Saturday with your family, but you really need to tackle all those things you’ve been putting off. Just this once, family time will have to wait while you go in and get caught up.
If this sounds familiar, maybe it’s time to make a few changes. Changes that can help you enjoy your work more, lower your stress level and get more accomplished. Here are some ways to have more fun and get more done.
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Realize that you can’t do it all. This is a key to reducing the stress that kills productivity. If you find yourself staying awake nights feeling guilty about all of the things you didn’t get done, you aren’t being selective enough in choosing what you do.
No one has ever gotten it all done, so don’t feel guilty about letting some things fall by the wayside. Stay focused on your priorities. Do only those most important tasks.
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Plan and prioritize. From time to time, we all get distracted from the important by the urgent. To avoid this trap, plan and prioritize your work. Divide your work into “must do,” “need to do” and “want to do.”
These questions may help you establish your priorities:
1) What work will produce the most results in the shortest time?
2) What work will help me achieve my long-term goals the quickest?
3) If I don’t do this task today, what are the consequences?
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Work at a steady pace. The old fable describing the race between the tortoise and the hare is really very true. You’ll get more done if you find a comfortable pace of work and stay at it.
I divide my work into bite-size chunks. I promise myself a little break when I finish a portion. That often helps me stay with a project a little longer.
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Know when you do your best work. I recently visited with a young college student who told me she was taking a 7:30 a.m. summer class because that was when she was the most alert.
The early part of the day is also when I perform at the highest level. I take on the most challenging tasks when I’m at my peak. Your day may really get started at noon. It doesn’t matter as long as you don’t waste your peak time on routine phone calls, paperwork or follow-up.
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Save some time for yourself. I don’t care how full of energy you may be, you still need some time to recharge your batteries. How you recharge will vary from person
to person. For example, I work with people all day long. When I recharge, I prefer to be alone. I may go for a motorcycle ride, work in my shop or read a book.
A computer programmer, who spends all day in a cubicle writing lines of code, may wish to mingle with friends. What you do is up to you, just make time for it.
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Have some fun. You get to choose whether your work is a vocation or a vacation. Most successful people enjoy their work. Look for things to laugh about. Share a car-toon or funny story. Fill your office with your favorite things. Bring your own music if it makes you feel better. But keep it soft — you don’t want to infringe on the rights of others.
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