Are you plagued by rush jobs?

Are you plagued by rush jobs?

 

Rush jobs are one of the major time problems experienced by business people. Here's a checklist of ideas that could help in this area.

 

Question the importance of all rush jobs. They may be urgent but not important.

 

As soon as you get a rush job, question the deadline. The time to negotiate an extended deadline is the moment you receive the assignment.

 

For each rush job, ask yourself the question, "What's the impact on my job, my career or this company if this task is not completed on time?"

 

Recognize that you can't do two things in the same time frame. Do one thing at a time, starting with those that seem most important. Stress aggravates the situation.

 

Get in the habit of scheduling the priority tasks in your planner. These tasks can only be displaced by more important tasks, regardless of their urgency.

 

Remember that it's not how many things you do but what you accomplish that counts. Don't lose sight of your goals. Concentrate on the 20% of the activities that produce 80% of the results.

 

Don't hesitate to ask for help. You can't be all things to all people. If you're in a position to delegate, do so.

 

Say "no" more often. Be assertive. Recognize that by saying yes to a rush job, you are automatically saying no to something else of greater importance.

 

Don't procrastinate. Many jobs become urgent because of delay. Immediately upon receiving a priority assignment, break it into smaller segments and schedule time in your planner to work on them.

 

Always plan ahead. Don't take one day at a time. Determine what you will be working on in the next two weeks or so.