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A Baker’s Dozen Personal Success Productivity Tips
By admin | May 19, 2009
“The simple act of paying positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity” – Tom Peters – management consultant, author
Our careers take up more than one third of our lives.
Here in the United States, most individuals work at least 40 hours each week. No wonder so many aspects of our lives are heavily influenced by our career success. Your entire sense of self can be negatively impacted if you are not fully satisfied with your personal success in the work place. This is why it’s so important to gain control of your career success in order to gain control of your personal success goals.
1. Ask questions- in order to get ahead, you need to know what you are doing and what you can do differently. You need to take control of your career and ask the right questions. Talk to your co-workers and your bosses what it takes to move up.
2. Determine your skills- when it comes to self-improvement in the work place, you need to determine what makes you a good worker. What thrills you? What interests you? What are you good at? Perhaps you are a good writer; perhaps you are a great salesperson. You need to find dig deep within yourself and determine your strengths, which will lead to a successful dream career.
3. Prioritize – at work it’s important to prioritize what needs to be done now and later. It can be easy to do the simple tasks first and push the harder tasks to another day. However, this is going to just bring you more stress in the end. To improve your work schedule, you need to set deadlines and meet these.
4. Keep a schedule- many people carry around a diary or a calendar of their meetings and things that need to be done. This is one of the most important things you can do to keep control of your tasks and make the day run smoother. Do not just schedule work-related events; keep one step ahead of all your daily chores and errands. If you see what needs to be done, the workload can be a lot less overwhelming. Just take it one step at a time.
5. Make a To- Do list- at home and on the job, to-do lists are one of the most effective ways to get things done. Make a list of everything, from cleaning the house and laundry, to writing that report and making the presentation at work. One of the best things about To-Do lists is that you get to check off each item once it is finished. Seeing what you have accomplished throughout the day with checked to-do lists is liberating and therapeutic. It can improve your self-confidence and your stimulate motivation to successfully get the job done.
6. Accept your weaknesses and work towards strengthening them – everyone has weakness. While some people cannot spell without a computer spell check, others are terrified of public speaking. Accept your weaknesses and then work towards strengthening them. You may need to attend a course, put in extra hours and ask for help from your superiors, but all of these things can improve your self-esteem and break the barriers of your weaknesses.
7. Step away from the social networking! Stay away from these distractions – Attention Facebook, MySpace, and MSN users. For those who work in an office environment where you are constantly on the computer (and internet), it can be a challenge to stay away from fun distractions such as games and chatting to friends. You need to block these sites to stop yourself from using them at work. This is not good for your self-improvement, and, if your employer catches you, it also won’t be good for your career. Other distractions come from gossipy co-workers and text messages. Steer clear of these distractions to improve your work ethics. There’s a time and a place for distractions- it’s called “after work”.
8. Take baby steps- big projects are hard to tackle. However, the hardest part is always starting it. If you have to tackle a big project, break it up into smaller sections. A book is really only several different chapters. Think about this when you need to tackle your next big project. This can make the project a lot less overwhelming and greatly increases your chance of success.
9. Relax, once in a while – it’s okay to take a few minutes during the day for yourself, as long as it is not stopping your productivity. Many people can motor through a 10 hour working day without a break; most people, however, cannot. Use your breaks to their full potential but relaxing and recharging.
10. Take advantage of your peak time- everyone has a certain time during the day that they get the most work done. For many, this is in the morning. For others, this may be after lunch. Take advantage of your peak time by working through the hard tasks then.
11. Stop procrastinating – it’s just so easy to procrastinate. But it’s also so bad for your work performance to do so. Setting daily goals, using ‘To Do’ lists and small rewards for a job well done can all beat procrastination before it beats you.
12. Never stop learning- you are never too old to continue your education. Many people assume that they chose one career path and are stuck with this choice. Not true, especially not anymore. There are so many different ways to increase your education including online courses, distance education and night classes. Book clubs and other clubs can also increase your brainpower and help with self-improvement.
13. Get a success coach or mentor. Or maybe two or three. Maybe this is a parent, or the CEO of the company where you work. It could be a professional or a friend from a civic group. In many cases you’ll need someone with specialized knowledge and/or skills. Someone who’s been there and done that, and who is interested in helping someone else do the same. If you ask, you’ll be surprised at how many are willing to help you along the way.
Wishing you a larger life, BB
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