The Tedious Workday
We all have them: those excruciating days when everything is so mundane, we would rather eat nails than stare at the walls in our offices for another minute. Still, despite your sudden craving for nails, you know you have to get that filing caught up or the computer backed up or that new manual proofread. So what’s the solution for surviving? A. Harrison Barnes, career coach and founder of EmploymentCrossing.com has a few suggestions. He says the solution is all in the way you approach it.
* Break the monotony. Tackle that filing or begin the performance reviews and commit to one half hour of uninterrupted time devoted to that one tedious task. Once you’ve completed that half hour, go to lunch, take a quick walk or check your email. “Most people don’t realize many of these mundane tasks only take a few minutes, but because we tend to drag them out, it only feels as though it’s an hours-long project”, says the EmploymentCrossing.com founder.
* If there are three or four smaller projects that you know will only take a few minutes, combine them into your half hour allotment. Commit to at least knocking the smaller projects out. The sense of knowing it’s behind you is motivational.
* Is there an assistant who’s always looking for ways to get a better understanding of certain processes within the company? As long as you don’t take advantage and provided it doesn’t result in any problems, you might consider reaching out to her for help. She gets a better idea of the business and you get the help you need. If you know you’re offering her a raw deal, tell her so. Then sweeten the pot with an offer to take her to lunch in exchange for her help. Keep in mind – this isn’t suggested if it’s frowned up on by your company’s management.
* Think back to that sense of satisfaction the last time you completed one of those dreaded projects. Try to keep that sense of accomplishment in the back of your mind as inspiration to get it finished.
Remember, says A. Harrison Barnes, bottom line is you have a job to do; and at some point, you’re going to have to just bite the bullet and get the project knocked out. If you can approach it with just a bit of optimism, odds are you’ll realize it didn’t eat up the majority of the day and once it’s finished, you can finally move on to those more rewarding aspects of your career. Finally, if it begins to take its toll and you believe it’s time to move on, don’t forget to visit EmploymentCrossing.com for the latest in every employment sector. New trends, tips for landing the job and of course, the most complete job aggregate board to be found – it’s all waiting for you.
