Do you already love your job?
TIPS TO KEEP IT FUN FOR VESPERS
No matter how much you love your job, ADD symptoms can throw you off the rails and turn an incredible situation into a nightmare. I just read an article listing ways to manage ADD at work. Thought I’d give it my spin, especially if you LOVE what you do.
As I have written in the past, if you are not satisfied with your work, your symptoms are magnified perhaps hundreds of times. The results can be disastrous. A minor scratch with a coworker becomes a total problem and creates more unhappiness and chaos at work. A simple request from a manager can cause resentment and emotional turmoil. Distractions, big or small, become overwhelming, causing even the most basic tasks to be procrastinated.
Now, suppose you really enjoy your job and want to go on and manage your typical ADD symptoms that can throw us off the rails no matter our mood, attitude, or level of enjoyment at work.
1. Stop and think about clarity before you speak
Ask questions to fully understand your assignment. Repeat the instructions you are given to make sure you have heard them correctly. Ask for specific deadlines so you know that what is being asked is actually feasible. If not, address the issue immediately. Don’t wait until it’s too late and you’re forced to take work home with you. If you are a manager, remember to let the person/employee know that they have a request or project and find out what their priorities are. Say exactly when you expect the task to be completed (a time frame helps).
2. Let go of procrastination
On tasks, whether you’re the boss or working for someone else, use bullet points to make them easy to do and get them done. I just did this… Right now!
3. Speed calls v. sharing your story
Aren’t phone conversations the easiest way to procrastinate? Let’s just get started, right? Give yourself a time limit like five minutes, seven tops. Let the caller or caller know that he only wants to touch bases. They will understand and they will know, now it is important that YOU stick to that. It can take a few times to understand.
4. Time Management Confusion: One Method at a Time
Keep this very, very simple. By using ONE system for work and home, confusion is kept to a minimum. I use my Google Calendar which automatically adds appointments to my iPhone email. Some people do better with physical calendars. If you’re so inclined, use it! The only thing I have that saves me every time is a hook for my keys. It might be time to add some more hooks for other things.
5. The D Word – Delegation
Beware of perfectionists. This can take some getting used to. Let others do some of the work, particularly the work you don’t like to do. It’s an art. You can barter. Use the Contrast exercise: take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side, list all the things you need help with or could delegate; on the other side, write down who can help you or what action you can take to relieve some of the stress on your plate for each one. This is a skill that, again, takes time to learn.
6. Keep your private life private
This is HUGE. How many times have you heard yourself say why I told him that? There’s no reason to talk about what’s going on at home with your coworkers—it’s a way of disempowering yourself in the workplace. The next time you feel the need to say something, think about how that information might affect others. It’s also another… you got it… The procrastination tactic! Remember that I am also saying this to myself.
7. Let your work stay at work
Generally speaking, if you can’t get things done at work, it’s because you haven’t done much of the above. Intend to leave your job at the workplace. When you bring it home, it impacts the rest of your life. It takes practice. Try the steps above and see what happens and how much time you have left to complete what you need to do at work.
8. Take care of yourself – Self-care is king (or queen)
Without your mental, emotional, and physical health, doing the work you love can take its toll. Of course that is true of anything. Take a vacation. Please meditate. Diary and enjoy life. Focus on what you like to do outside of work. Breathe.
To schedule your complimentary session with Shell and receive at least one strategy to career happiness, visit http://www.shellmendelson.youcanbook.me