How to Be Effective at Work

Create a to-do list. Write down all the things you want to accomplish for the day or week, or create an ongoing list of tasks to achieve. The to-do list is a tool worth trying and will really work for you, provided, of course, that you use it correctly.

• Write as short, concise, and logical as possible about what you need to do. For example, don’t just write “move house”. Instead, try writing in the form of “clean the living room,” “vacuum the carpet,” or “take out the trash” – it is better to be divided and clearly written than in generic phrases.
• Don’t let yourself feel overwhelmed or distracted by your to-do list. If you spend too much time thinking about what to put on the list, it’s as if you didn’t use the list at all. Try to create a short to-do list, don’t let yourself hang around with it all day, unless you have to.

Plan. See what on your list can be done, and decide in what order to do it. If possible, plan each day, including how long you will do each task, meal times, breaks, etc.

• Be careful about scheduling each task, because you can’t be sure how much time is enough to complete one task or another. Don’t take this too seriously, and don’t let it ruin your entire plan. If something doesn’t go according to plan, do your best to adjust your schedule to get the job done.

Sort by priority. Consider what is most important and work on it first. By prioritizing each task, you’ll be able to get everything done on time. You may have a grand dream of “finding” and “bathing” your dog, but either of these needs to be second. Trying to do too many things at once is the shortest route to feeling overwhelmed and inefficient.

• If there’s any task or task you’ve been working on for a long time that hasn’t been completed, give it a deadline or take a full day to do it – or see if it doesn’t work. Does that matter in doing other things?

Give a goal. Whether it’s cleaning, studying, or working, come up with a reasonable but challenging goal, like how much you’ll write, read, or do in a day. Don’t stop until you reach that goal. Try to have a positive view of your goals and don’t see them as obstacles. If you focus on something, you can get it done.

• Consider rewarding or punishing yourself for your goals. Promise yourself something, or do something you want if you get this or that done. On the other hand, also remind yourself that if undesirable consequences occur, you can punish yourself in one way or another. This will really work if you can delegate the power of reward and punishment to someone who won’t compromise with you when you deserve to be punished.

Pay attention to your own effectiveness. Don’t get carried away thinking about how effective or ineffective you are at the moment, but after forcing yourself into a certain framework, look back to see how focused you are, how can you help yourself? Do you stick to the plan you have set out, or do you arrange your time in such a reasonable manner. Make a note of unexpected situations or things that might dominate or distract you during the execution of your plan. Once you’ve made a note of something, think about if there’s anything you can do to improve the situation.

• Consider keeping a notebook or diary to keep track of what you did and didn’t do at the end of the day.

Keep your belongings organized. Nothing can make you waste more time than having to search for an important object or document without knowing where they are, and so can finding your email to double check your appointment time. Create a system to organize information, store belongings, and record information about appointments or due dates.