It is a sad fact that many employees tend to work longer than 8 hours in a day. The addiction of working continuously even after the clock strikes 5 has become a prevalent scenario in today’s fast-paced world.
For workaholics, working overtime has become a way of life. Many employees admit that they feel obliged to do as much work as possible or to finish their tasks the very same day they’re given. In my previous job, some of the employees even work past midnight in the office just to get things done. This is absolutely absurd. There are much better ways of exceeding the expectations of the boss rather than sacrificing your health and personal life. In this chapter you will learn some terrific tactics to enable you to get home early and achieve a balanced life.
Work Quality Hours
Some employees may acquire a “happy-go-lucky” attitude because they think that whatever they have not finished within the normal working hours, they can accomplish later during overtime. They therefore tend to work slower. They have the inclination to do other things during office hours like chatting with their co-workers regarding the latest gossips, surfing the internet for personal reasons, and reading joke emails sent by their friends.
These are not acceptable acts by a responsible employee. Not only will the employee spend less time for rest and relaxation by staying late in the office, but the company would also have to shoulder more overtime pay for work that can be finished within the regular working time.
If you want to maintain a balanced life, then leave your office early. You might think that this is not a logical step to take especially when you’re bombarded with piles of assignments and reports that are due soon. But once you get the hang of this, you’ll become more focused with your job and you’ll spend less time doing unproductive tasks.
The magic word here is focus. Tell yourself that you are leaving early by hook or by crook. By doing this, you are imposing a strict deadline on yourself. When you make up your mind to go home early from work with full determination, your subconscious will help you in achieving such feat.
Word of advice: start gradually. If you’re used to working 15 hours a day, you may start by lessening it to 12 hours, then to 10 hours, then finally to 8 hours. You may also decide which days of the week you’ll be leaving work early.
For example, this week you’ll go home early on Wednesday. Then next week, it’s Wednesday and Thursday. Then the week after that, it’s Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Keep on decreasing the numbers of hours you have to work for a particular week until you have achieved a normal 8-hour work routine daily.
But please. Don’t leave the office early feeling guilty and unproductive. Just think. By achieving balance and getting enough rest, you’ll end up becoming more efficient than if you work countless hours the day before. A better use of your time is to plan on how you are going to handle the work that you will be doing tomorrow.
At the start of every day, always ask yourself, “What must I do to feel satisfied when I go home from work on time today?” Another great way to accomplish more is that during the middle of the day, contemplate on the tasks that you have already done, then ask yourself “What other things do I need to finish?” You will gain more direction to accomplish whatever needs to be done.
Be Efficient and Productive
Certain factors may negatively affect the employee’s performance, the effect of which could be disastrous to both the employee and the company. Listed below are some of the things you need to pay attention to if you want to become efficient at your job:
- Do not accept more than you can handle. Sometimes, people want to please their bosses so much that they would be willing to add up more work to their already unending tasks with the hope of being recognized and promoted. What they didn’t know is that they’ll end up being more inefficient, frustrated, and stressed-out just to meet the deadlines. If you think you cannot accommodate an additional workload or a new project, then be honest and tell your boss about it. With a justifiable explanation, your superior would understand your situation and would be glad to assign the task to someone else with less workload.
- Organize your files and office supplies well. A table with too much clutter can leave you in disarray. Make sure you group identical things together so you won’t have to waste time in finding the things you need. (Organization will be discussed in a later chapter).
- Move it. Your body, that is. Exercise has been proven to reduce work-related stress and anxiety. Regular exercise can help maintain your body in tip-top condition to handle the challenges of work. If you can, stretch your body or take frequent breaks within your work schedule to revitalize yourself.
- Get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep can make you drowsy and weak, thereby impairing your concentration and ability to do the job well. 7 to 8 hours is normal for most people but there is actually no norm. Some could sleep just 4 hours and still be in great working condition. Know the minimum hours of sleep you can take to become productive during the day and make sure you get enough of it daily. Take a short 15 to 30 minute nap during break time if you can. It will give you energy for the rest of the day.
- Use devices or supplies that save time. Get a stamper with your signature in it so you can minimize your time in signing documents. If you’re given a choice, choose a laptop instead of a desktop computer for better accessibility to your work when you’re outside the office.
- Eat light lunch. If you splurge in an eat-all-you-can treat at lunch, there’s a big chance you’ll get lethargic later on in the afternoon. Stay alert for the rest of the day by limiting your lunch, and by taking a light snack if you go hungry at mid-afternoon.
- Delegate. During the normal course of your work, you would most likely encounter time killers such as unwanted phone calls and emails, or waiting in line to photocopy some documents. If you could delegate these and other similar tasks to others, you could be freeing a lot of time for more productive pursuits.
