04 Jul Something’s gotta give!
I don’t know about you, however, in this new hectic world of hybrid working, increasing volumes of work, new technology, changing internal policies/procedures, and greater expectations it can be hard to stay across it all.
People I know across all industries (not just legal) are struggling with the unrelenting workload and at times feel like they are not operating to their highest standard. With so many urgent and competing deadlines people are running around like headless chooks.
Something’s Gotta Give right?
So, to start off the new financial year, I thought it would be helpful to suggest some tips to get more organised and, hopefully, achieve more peace and calm in your working week:
- Weekly/daily planning. At the end (or start) of each week, it is incredibly helpful to set some goals for the upcoming week. I am not talking about a to-do list or your BAU work streams as you are going to take care of those matters in any event. I am talking about those projects and tasks we perceive as ‘non-priority’ which continue to build and build week on week. They nag at you in the back of your mind and staff members are often in a holding pattern while they wait for you to complete. Setting out to actively complete these projects week on week will funnily enough free your time up for your day-to-day and make for a more harmonious workplace.
- Break up your day with some sort of exercise or time out such as meditation/catching up with a friend/relaxing activity. Smashing through your day, having lunch at your desk and logging on after dinner every night is a sure-fire way to burn out. Again, while you feel this is taking away from focussing on your perceived priorities, it is a proven fact this will make you more productive.
- Turn off all your notifications on your phone and computer. If you have notifications constantly popping up through Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, email, Twitter, Teams, etc you are likely to at some point engage in mindless procrastination or get in a habit of replying/looking at every message as and when they arrive. Trust me, your messages can wait a couple of hours. You will be more productive and efficient and ironically have more time for meaningful interactions with those that matter outside of work including family, friends, kids, pets, etc.
- Drink less alcohol. It is no secret that alcohol consumption increased dramatically during COVID, and while it can help with stress, ultimately it will reduce energy and productivity in your work. Even worse, it can affect company culture and thus increase turnover; in a market where you simply can’t afford to lose people.
That is probably enough for now. We all have trouble just getting through the day and change is hard. If you can implement some or all of these little tips, I would be surprised if you are not more productive, less stressed, and most importantly more enjoyable to be around both in the office and at home!
