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How to Be Busy Constructively.

Guest post by: Susan Leigh

Article Overview: Many of us are very busy, with different demands on our time and emotions. Let's look at some ways to manage the stress, maximise our time and get the most out of ourselves and our lives.

How to Be Busy Constructively.

Many of us are busy. We rush from one situation to the next, crisis managing, snatching time here or there, trying to fit everything in. But how much of what we are doing is valid or constructive? How much of our time is spent repeating what we have already done, going over old ground or justputting a plug in situations until we can revisit them at a later time. Let us spend five minutes looking at ways to be busy in a constructive way and really use our time wisely.

- Write a list of everything that needs to be done. Initially it may take time, but once you get into the habit of committing everything down onto one list it can become a useful point of reference. It is also a good discipline. It formulates the thoughts into a logical frame of mind.

- Prioritise the things on your list. There should be both work and personalitemswritten down. Some may have time constraints like opening hours, others may have specific deadlines. Organise your list by degrees of urgency. It helps you to move more fluidly from one item to the next. And some things may drop off the list as the day progresses.

-Is everything that you are doing useful ? Some things may be whimsical, which is all well andgood, but if you are already overloaded could those things be done another time ?

- Respond to situations rather than react. Consider the things that you are asked or expected to do. Then take time to weigh them up and think about the best approach, rather than rush in and find that you have wasted your time on doing things that are not necessary or are a duplication of previous work.

- How much of what you have on your list is there through feeling guilty ? Often busy people have responsibilities like partners, family, children, business that they feel are not given enough attention. It can be natural to feel that we have to compensate by doing extra things, spreading ourselves even thinner. Is that the best approach or would something more constructive be better, like finishing work earlier, delegating some jobs or being honest about the pressure of our situation.

- Time manage. Keep a diary and let your day be better organised. See where you need to be and work around it, allow yourself enough time, rather than always being on the last minute and rushed.

- Try to finish what you have started. Rather than do a little of several jobs all at once try to finish one job before moving onto the next. When that is not possible take the time to make notes at the front of the file, on where you are up to, what is in progress, so that when you resume the job you know exactly where you are up to. It saves a lot of time.

- Schedule breaks, food, exercise for yourself. If youbecome unfit, unwell, stressed then youwill not be able to function properly. Our car needs to be taken for a service, have oil put in the engine and air put in the tyres from time to time. We need to be maintained too.

- Ask for help. If people are asked they are often pleased to help. Include them in your plans.

- Think simple. I remember an older colleague being asked to join the young lads from the office for a game of football. They raced up and down the pitch, expending loads of energy. He looked up and down, moved in and took possession of the ball over and over again. Sometimes keeping it simple and seeing what is needed is the best option.

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Article Tags: emotions, keep a diary, prioritise, stress, time manage
Referred by: http://www.bespoke-sales-training.co.uk



Related Forum Posts
Re: Q1 Triple Crown Winners! - [quote="Trent Brownrigg":1kiwvxku] I was wondering where you've been! Busy making money I'm sure![/quote:1kiwvxku] In one form or another. LOL
Books that should be written - [quote:1m0dcpd7]"The Idiots Guide To Sticking With One Thing At A Time and Not Doing Something New All The Time" [/quote:1m0dcpd7] I myself am a 'constructive' procrastinator... I don't know if I'm alone in this. I have about six or seven projects I'm working on at any given time. I get one project almost done... then my interest is piqued by another project and I work on that... I get burnt out and move to another...I know I do this so I have it arranged such that once I get bored or burnt out with one project, I can step right back into project 1 - or 2 or 3, and get that a little bit more done before moving on to something else. As long as you're organized and know where all your reference material/idea sheets are when you're ready to get back to work on each project, it should be fine. I also find that by stepping away from a project - I still work on it in the recesses of my mind so that when I go back to it - it's with some good ideas that I wouldn't have had if I'd continued on with it originally. Maybe I should write a book on how to Procrastinate Constructively... I've actually thought about doing that...because most people procrastinate, don't they...and very few are ever able to stop.
Re: Q1 Triple Crown Winners! - [quote="Alan Mater":232na51x]Congrats on leading the forum posts for last month, Trent! That's a great achievement.[/quote:232na51x] Thanks buddy! [quote:232na51x]I'm hoping to become a little more active in here this month as I've been slipping behind.[/quote:232na51x] I was wondering where you've been! Busy making money I'm sure!


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