28 December,2010 08:27 AM IST | | Sukanya Ghosh
Who likes deadlines? They torment our work, our bodies, and life in general! All that we gain from them is in the form of a couple of ulcers thrown in here and there, thyroid issues, and messed up personal lives. Don't let them get the better of you! There's a way to manage them. Here's how:
>> Find out your most productive period at work. It maybe after or before lunch, early in the morning, or late at night -different people perform differently at these various time zones. Ensure that you slot the most critical deadlines into that time of the day when you are at your efficient best. It is easier for you to meet a deadline if you are doing the task at the peak of your cycle. You are more likely to complete it in a better way and also before time.
>>u00a0Prioritise. See what can wait, vis- -vis what is definitely urgent for the day. This is the simplest and surest way to meet deadlines.
>>u00a0Simplify. Break your task into smaller parts. This will make the work look less insurmountable, and once you've cracked it psychologically, no deadline is impossible to meet.
>>u00a0Look at where you end up wasting time. Facebook-ing too often? Love grabbing a serving of gossip before lunchtime ends? Well, you could pack in a few work-related calls if you are done with lunch a little earlier. Whatever it may be, you'll know best where you are letting time slip away.
>>u00a0Avoid over-commitment to your boss. If you know the limitations of a particular task, and do a realistic evaluation of what can be achieved within a deadline, you are less likely to
promise more than what you can deliver. Thus, you'll keep your deadline-promises with little or almost no effort. This is also a great way to keep stress at bay.
>>u00a0Remember to delegate. By delegating, not only will you have more time for each task, the quality of work will turn out to be
better, as it will no longer have to bear the burden of nervous tension!
>>u00a0Take short breaks. Your mind and body, both need refreshments in the form of catnaps, actual physical movement around the workspace, or a thing as simple as a water break. Once you recharge your batteries, you'll be ever more present to the work you are doing, and automatically complete it faster.
