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This is John. He's stressed out by his first job!
He has a number of work projects due and has a side gig playing in a band with his friends. How can he stay organized and keep his cool?
With a few key strategies, John will be just fine!
1. Make A List
What do you need to get done?
The act of writing it down will help you visualize your tasks, and make the workload feel less overwhelming. Give yourself small goals by breaking down larger tasks into smaller tasks.
Your list could take many forms, like:
A bunch of sticky notes
A list in your agenda
A Google Calendar
The most useful list is one you will actually use!
Quiz
John really needs to keep track of his tasks. Which task would make sense to include on his list?
Scheduling a group meeting is a specific task that John can add to his list and check off after it's complete! The other examples are too vague or can't be completed in one work session.
2. Prioritize Your Tasks
Consider:
What is most urgent? Do these things first.
What is most important? Be sure to schedule these tasks.
What will take the most time to complete? Break it down into smaller steps.
Do you need to work with others? You'll need to take their schedules into account.
John needs your help!
It's Monday and John has a marketing report he needs to complete by the end of the week. He just needs to spell-check it before he sends it off. The following Friday, his team will have to present the report to a client. They'll need to meet beforehand.
Quiz
Which task should John prioritize?
John should prioritize scheduling the team meeting because it will be the hardest task to coordinate. He can't prepare for the presentation until his team meets. Spellchecking can be done quickly, and he has five days to complete it.
Did you know?
You can get feedback on your resume from Rumie community members in our Discord Server. Come by, we'll help you get the job!
3. Schedule Breaks
Don't underestimate the value of a quality break: schedule these into your day!
A walk around the block, a quick stretch, or some deep breaths can do wonders.
Sitting at your desk all day doesn't necessarily mean you're getting work done! Consider taking a break:
After you complete a task
Once every hour
If you find that your focus has wandered
How you schedule breaks depends on the work you're doing.For example, if you're really hitting your stride with an important task, it might not be the best time totake a break when the scheduled hour is up.
Quiz
John is composing music for his band, a process that takes a few hours. How would you recommend that he schedule his breaks?
Writing music is a really creative process! It's difficult to predict when John won't be in his creative flow, so he will need to judge his need for breaks based on how he's feeling. If he picks an arbitrary time, he may be interrupting his creative flow!
Reward Yourself
A reward could be a piece of chocolate after a productive 2 hour stretch of work, or an hour of video games after a long day.
As long as the reward is finite and keeps you motivated, do whatever works for you!
Take Action
What do you need to get done this week?
This Byte has been authored by
Maria Sipsis
Director, Project Execution Regulatory
Ann Kozicka
Project Manager
Liana Mazzucco
Change Management
Teenu Nisar
Project Manager