Many people are fearful to make a decision because they don’t want to make a mistake. Indecision is the worst mistake you can make. Analyze each situation, identify possible solutions, and determine the best possible direction based on all circumstances. Once you do this, then you can move confidently forward. Make your decision and see it through. This doesn’t suggest to make hasty decisions but delaying over minor decisions can sometimes be worse than seeing the wrong decision through.
With responsibility comes paperwork. It is important to keep the paperwork process flowing efficiently. Whenever you find too much paperwork on your desk, take time out to reorganize. Review all the papers on your desk just once and divide it into the following classifications: [Do this, while standing over the waste paper basket]
– Do it now
– Action pending
– Reading material
– Round file [Garbage]
Try to put the highest priority item at the top of your Do it now pile, then act on it immediately. This way, you will not feel overwhelmed with disorganization by having a large volume of paperwork laying around. Clearing your desk completely, or at least organizing it before you leave the office each night, should be a standard practice. This helps to get you off to a good start the next morning.
Although there are times when taking work home with you will be necessary in order to get the job done, it is generally not a good practice. Do not make a habit of bringing work home with you. It is a sign of either poor time management at work or being a workaholic. This is inconsistent with leading a successful, well balanced life. If you find that you are consistently taking work home with you, something’s wrong. Try to delegate the work to someone else, or organize your time more efficiently so that you can get your work done during normal working hours. You need to get away from work at the end of the day, both physically and mentally. Doing office work at home tends to be counter-productive, draining you of energies and alienating your loved ones.
It is also a dangerous habit because if you can’t get something done during the day, you’ll start to believe that “there’s always tonight”… It isn’t worth it.
Boyer Consulting
A goal is simply a dream with a deadline. The reality is that people work best under a little bit of pressure. A self-imposed deadline can provide the pressure that you need to keep yourself focused on the task at hand. Deadlines turn pipe dreams into reality. Parkinson’s law states that, “Work expands to fill the time available for it’s completion”. Never leave a task open-ended. Give yourself a deadline. If its a complex project, give yourself intermediate goals and put deadlines on those. Get into the habit of meeting your deadline goals. Otherwise, they’ll lose their effectiveness.
BOYER CONSULTING 