Workaday Superstar

WORKADAY TIP #126: Delegate Responsibilities

This is a tough one for me.  One of the best time savers is getting comfortable with letting others do some of the heavy lifting. 

I have lived by "if you want it done right, do it yourself" for much of my life.  The problem with this idea is that:

a) Sometimes others actually know how to do it better than you 

b) Just because it's done differently, doesn't mean it isn't being done right

So I have been trying very hard to let go a little and allow others (personally and professionally) to take on some of the work and day-to-day responsibilities. 

So give it a shot! You'll be amazed at how much time you save and how liberating it can be to let some of the chaos go!

WORKADAY TIP #120: The Benefit of Silence

I just read about this in a magazine recently and I also found a good article about this on BNet.  They say that silience is a good stress reliever, I tend to agree.

Take a few minutes every day in silence.  Turn off the radio on your way to work.  Shut off the T.V. during dinner or put your phone on vibrate while you are getting ready to start your day.  Working in a chaotic environment or living in a urban city can make this tough so you'll likely need to consicously carve out time for silence.

For me, it has already helped me reduce stress and it's also allowed me to better process the tasks at hand.  With so much noise, it can be hard to cut through the clutter and focus on what's next - whether that be a personal or professional. 

TOP 10 WORKADAY TIPS: 4/09

Here are my top ten tips for April.

1. WORKADAY TIP #103: Stay Healthy With Saline
2. WORKADAY TIP #104: Don't Waste Food
3. WORKADAY TIP #105: Use Commercial Time
4. WORKADAY TIP #106: Grab Logos From Wikipedia
5. WORKADAY TIP #107: Fast Way To Lace Up
6. WORKADAY TIP #108: Put Hangers Backwards
7. WORKADAY TIP #110: Another Benefit To Tax Deductions
8. WORKADAY TIP #113: Double-Sided Apparel Tape
9. WORKADAY TIP #114: Unplug When You Can
10. WORKADAY TIP #116: Avoid Eye Wrinkles

WORKADAY TIP #115: Pack Smart

So I haven't posted recently because I've been on vacation in Washington D.C. visiting friends.  About a week before I left I learned I had to go to NYC for work right afterwards.  Since I was already going to be on the East Coast and combined the trips which meant I needed to pack smart. 

It's important to keep bags and the weight of each to a minimum so you can get around easily and so you don't have to pay for an additional bag or an overweight one.  Also, you need to organize your bag well especially when you are living out of it for a signficant amount of time.

Here are a few things that will help you get there.

1. Pack in order of use - put the clothes you'll be wearing towards the end of your trip at the bottom of the bag and the ones you intend to where first on the top.

2. Streamline your clothing - try and keep to one base color.  By sticking to just black or brown all of your clothing will be easly interchangable and you can limit the number of shoes you bring.

3. Keep doubles whenever possible - try and have doubles of your toiletries that you can keep in your travel bag so you don't have to worry about packing or forgetting them.
4. Balance the weight - try to book any heavy items like books and magazines in your carry on so you don't go over the weight limit on your baggage.

If you've got other ideas, please share!

WORKADAY TIP #109: Make A List

So my schedule has been crazier than usual lately and I've been having trouble keeping organized.  So subconsiously I started making lists yesterday.

My co-worker, Eric commented today that I now have 6 pink post-its on my desk full of "to dos" which is surely an indication that my schedule a a bit out of control.   I used to do this frequently but somehow got out of the habit.  I realized that as soon as I write things down, the activities seem just a little more manageable.  The other benefit is that I tend to remember things better once I put them to paper.  

Making List = less terrifying schedule and a better memory.  Sweet!