PART of being a responsible adult is having a stable job to sustain one’s self and lifestyle. While it is completely normal to have some not-so-good days at work, the important thing is enjoying what you do and doing it well. In celebration of Labor Day, here are 10 simple ways you can be productive at work:
Set career goals
Whether they’re short-term or long-term, setting goals and knowing what you’re working toward gives you direction and drives you to succeed at what you do.
Write a ‘to-do’ list
It’s extremely useful to break down all your to-dos for a day or week. For one, you can keep track of all your tasks and not forget anything; and two, it’s good motivation to see your progress as you go through the day.
Take breaks
Don’t forget to pause and give yourself a breather in between working. Pushing yourself too hard will only burn you out.
Develop a working routine
By sticking to a fixed working schedule, you can properly manage your time.
Develop a healthy relationship with your colleagues
If a task can be collaborative, ask for input from your team members. If you happen to genuinely like the people you work with, consider yourself very lucky.
Focus on the things you love about the work
Fact: No matter how much we love our jobs as a whole, there are aspects we don’t like about it. Don’t dwell on the not-so-good parts and focus on the reasons why you enjoy what you do.
Temporarily log out of social media.
When your phone is easily within reach, it’s so tempting to do a “quick” scroll through your feed for a break. Unless it’s integral or part of your occupation, log out of your socials during work hours (or at least turn off notifications) so you don’t have any distractions.
Do the easy tasks first
If something can be worked on right away like answering emails or making calls to someone, do it stat. This way, you can move on and work on more arduous and time-consuming tasks.
Have something to look forward to
It can be a weekend getaway to the beach or dinner in your favorite restaurant. It helps to have these little rewards in mind to keep you motivated at work.
Start the day early
If you start a day of work early, chances are you’ll finish early too—which means you have more time to unwind, maybe read a book or watch a movie on Netflix.