Do you belong to that group of people who never have enough working hours to complete all your assigned tasks? Perhaps you work overtime or bring work home. In fact, you may be a workaholic without knowing it. I always regard myself as a person who work hard.but recently, i found that I’m a workaholic, not a person whoi work hard.
Work is a very concrete idea with some weird applications. For example, take the pile of files on your desk. Do you ever see the bottom of that pile? Could it be that your work is like a bottomless pit that can never be completed, even with crazy work schedules and busy overtime? If you work more than you live (provided that there is life outside work), then you are overworked! It’s not always easy to correct this situation, although some strategies may help you reduce your list of professional responsibilities.
Clean up!
Do you know what a time eater is? It consists of all the time lost hanging around the water cooler (when you really don’t feel like being there!), answering e-mail, looking for files among the mess in your office, listening to your colleagues’ complaints… The "eaters" that help you relax and recharge your batteries do not belong in that category: you do need to take a break once in a while, even when you are really busy!
But the time eaters that keep you from completing your tasks should be eliminated. For example, you could save time by writing a letter or making a phone call instead of seeing someone in person. Communications are the worst time eaters. They may be essential, but there are ways to lower the amount of time spent in contacting others. In the case of necessary communication-related tasks (answering your e-mail, for example), you can give yourself a specific amount of time to do it. Beyond the time limit, push it back to the next day. If it’s an emergency, people can still call you on the phone!
Enjoy assigning work
Obviously, you are your own best employee. But when you are exhausted, you can find others around you who are less mentally tired. "You must learn to trust people, to assign them work," explains time management specialist Suzanne Gariépy. "It is the only way to survive your job."
Be careful on how you hand out your tasks. If you tend to be a perfectionist, you might be inclined to look at others’ work, making sure that everything is fine. If it takes you as much time to review the file as it would have had if you had worked on it, you won’t gain time at all!
Don’t be afraid to say no
You are allowed to say a firm and justified "No". If you are aware of your schedule problem and of your inner conflict regarding work, you are already a step closer to the solution. In order to correct the situation, it is important to share your decision with your closest colleagues.
If you were for a long time an ideal secretary or employee who was always eager to do everything and suddenly decide that you are allowed to turn down work, you will confuse your colleagues. Tell them about your situation, what you are going through and don’t forget to inform them of your decision. They will be less surprised to see you turn down certain things you would have accepted not so long ago.
Complete your tasks within reasonable delays
"Nothing is more frustrating than to finish your day with dozens of files spread on your desk," says Suzanne Gariépy. "It is important to finish what you have started in order to gain a feeling of accomplishment." You must evaluate the priority of the assignment to avoid working like a beast in the middle of the night.
Priorities first
Is your presence absolutely necessary in all these scheduled meetings? According to Gariépy, "There are many meetings that career women are expected to attend. The majority of these meetings are totally unnecessary. So take the time to ask about the importance of your presence there."
Don’t overload yourself
Here is another great way to fight busy schedules: do one thing at a time! Someone brings you another file to work on? Say right away that you can’t look at it for the next few hours or even the next day. When you turn down work that can’t be completed within a reasonable amount of time, you add another source of personal reward: the pleasure of work well done.
Beware of workaholism!
It is not always easy to find a middle ground between work and life. However, many people work in a compulsive way. They cannot change their poor working habits. Their social and personal relationships are deeply affected by the lack of time. You can recognize a workaholic by observing her. She often suffers from headaches, allergies, tiredness, indigestion, stomach aches, ulcers, chest pains, dizziness… She is easily angry or agitated, suffers from insomnia and from memory blanks, has short attention spans, cannot relax and has mood swings. To know whether you are a workaholic or not, complete the following questionnaire. If you answer "yes" to many questions, you might want to evaluate your attitude about work. There are other things in life than work!
@ When you are asked to stop working to pick up your sick child at school or daycare, do you lose your temper?
@ When you wake up in the morning, are you grumpy during the weekend and happy on weekdays?
@ When you talk to your spouse, do you focus on your work much more than on your family?
@ Has your spouse stopped waiting for you at dinner?
@ Do you work over 40 hours per week?
@ When you’re on vacation, do you always end up working or talking to a colleague from the office?
@ Do you eat lunch at your desk?
@ Are you described at work as an energetic and competitive person, while at home you are lethargic and depressed?
@ Do you lack patience with your friends and family, but not with your work colleagues?
@ Do you often miss dates with your spouse because of work?
It’s never too late to realize that you’re a workaholic. However, it is necessary that you take care of yourself and try to guide yourself in the right way. For example, give yourself as much time to complete your work as you spend with your family. Make sure to distract yourself and to spend some time alone. By maintaining an equilibrium, you will feel more solid and alive.