Although I work in a fiery industry (fire protection, rather), my boss encourages us to remind ourselves that we are not in the business of putting out fires. No one should call us with an emergency. We are respected professionals whose time matters.
That said, we always have a list of to-dos beating down our office doors. My boss's philosophy on this is "kill the closest cobra".
You may be in a room of snakes, all of which are slithering your way. You don't need to tomb-raider whack them all in one swing (i.e. finish your list in one day), you just need to kill the closest cobra (take care of the most pertinent item).
So with the holidays
So time management advice? List your snakes, then whack them in order of importance.
Now, I don't support the killing of actual snakes. PSA on that one here.
He's not a cobra. He's a good lil green snake!
Even list making sometimes doesn't help us stay the course to check, check, check victory. Here are some of my personal tips for accomplishing your list:
1) Build in breaks. Tell yourself you can take a bathroom break or go talk to someone down the hall after you finish typing your next page. (Yes, bathroom breaks are sometimes just a way for us to avoid work... you know you do it!)
2) Honor your breaks. If you say you can walk after the next mile marker, then let yourself walk. If you keep lying to yourself (i.e. "Just run for 1 more min, you can do it!"), then you'll never trust your breaks and you'll end up giving up sooner.
3) Slow down. If you make mistakes while you work, you'll have to go back and fix them, which can be time-consuming.
4) Switch it up. For every hour of doing an easy task, switch it up and do a harder/less pleasant/lengthier task for 30 min. You can feel like you're getting 2x time the work done AND not have to do that difficult project in one sitting. Plus, most of us can't get past writer's block or being stuck on a problem just by staring at it.
5) Get out! I feel better when I take some time outside during the day. Walking around on my lunch break allows me to get some fresh air - regardless of the weather, get a change of scenery and get my legs moving after sitting all morning. Being inside all the time can actually make you sicker/weaker. So, get OUT!
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Also, on this Tipsy Tuesday, I'd like to announce that I am not drinking for the majority of December. I have been curious about resetting my body's alcohol tolerance for a while. Just one week after quitting alcohol I got a facial. The technician told me that my face looked "plump" with moisture and well hydrated. I've never gotten this report from a facialist before. They usually say that I'm dehydrated and that I need to "pound the water" even if I drink 8 - 10 glasses a day. I think that just cutting out alcohol has allowed my body to properly hydrate for the first time in a while. I'm feeling great so far and will keep you posted.
Drink of choice for the non-alchies? Tea. I am leaning on tea like a crutch right now. It still can dehydrate, but has antioxidants, light caffeine and is warming on these cold days!
Have you ever given up alcohol? How did it make you feel? Notice any benefits? Why did you give it up? What did you drink instead?
My Morning Mate by Teavana. A gift from my aunt and cousin.
