It’s all too common in our sector for people to wear multiple hats and juggle multiple priorities. After all, we have lots to do and what feels like not enough time do it. However, what would happen if we not only said “no” more often but we also identified the tasks and behaviors that the hold us back from excelling at work?
Over on Time Management Ninja, Craig Jarrow encourages readers to create a “To-Don’t List” and identify distractions and habits that doesn’t move us forward.
List of things we can brag about not doing:
- Didn’t start another task until you finished the one at hand
- Didn’t let others interrupt you while doing important work
- Didn’t let your phone or email disturb you while out to dinner with your spouse
- Didn’t address the inconsequential task on your plate
- Didn’t do the task that wasn’t on your list
- Didn’t endlessly surf the web or read the news
- Didn’t spend time gossiping instead of working
Read the rest of his advice here.
This is a great starter list for identifying those pesky behaviors that distract us from work and staying focused. However, if some of the distractions you face come from others—constant meeting requests or new projects being dumped on you—here are a few additional resources to help you tame you to-do list.
- How to say “no” at work without hurting your career
- How to tell your boss you have too much work to do
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by Allison Jones