Here are a few easy-to-implement suggestions that can help you achieve top notch performance at work. These suggestions can help you stand out among your peers and get you noticed by managers because these characteristics are often displayed by high performers in a variety of fields.
- Create a to-do list with everything that you need to accomplish. This can be as easy as a list on your phone, on your computer, or in a small notebook. But the list needs to be portable and with you at all times.
- Break down large items into smaller steps. Then DO THE NEXT STEP!
If you are planning a conference for 100 people, the item on your list should not be: Plan conference. That is too overwhelming. But if broken down into smaller chunks and achievable expectations, you can accomplish what you need and impress your colleagues!
Then it is necessary to carry on – do the next step that will move you forward on that item.
- Look for items on your list that you can complete in two minutes or less. Do these items first to get them off the list.
I know this suggestion goes against the to-do-list mantra of prioritizing and doing the most important task first. But many times, we have a five-minute window that we can use to accomplish that small task.
You have made progress on your to-do list and didn’t waste a valuable large chunk of time. You have 10 minutes before the next meeting? In that time, you can accomplish three or four of your smaller items. Moving forward toward the larger goal is the important take away from this step!
- Look over your to-do list each morning and afternoon. Are the items still important? Are they essential to accomplishing your larger goals? If so, keep them on the to-do list.
But if they are no longer essential, you might consider removing these items. Pruning your to-do list to include only essential achievements helps you identify what is most important. Trimming the list periodically helps you focus and meet expectations more easily.