PRIORITIES - WHY LEAVING YOUR OFFICE FOR A FEW DAY WILL GET THINGS DONE

by Deb Weidenhamer

Have you ever noticed that as a general rule, you get about twice as much work done on the day before you go on vacation as you normally accomplish on an ordinary day? Have you ever contemplated the reason for your successful pre-vacation workdays? If we can figure out why and learn how to repeat it everyday without working any longer or harder, doesn't it make sense that we will be more valuable to ourselves, and our companies? The answer is "Yes".Usually when you are preparing for an out of town trip - you make a list of everything that must be done prior to leaving. You put the really important tasks at the top of the list and the lesser important duties towards the bottom of the list. This is a common practice of people who regularly arrange their days using an organizer. I know you have an appointment book, but do you actually use it the same way you utilize your "get-out-of-town-quick" list? If you did, you wouldn't accomplish your tasks so quickly when faced with a travel deadline.Time to really prioritize. First, start using your organizer as intended. Sit down at the end of your day and prioritize your tasks for the next day. Let me encourage you to do the tough things first. At the beginning of your day, do everything you dislike or that is difficult for you. Saving the worst until last only makes your day last longer and psychologically we all procrastinate when facing unpleasant jobs. Free your mind, so you can concentrate on the fun and exciting work you need to do. Get systematized, accept responsibility and make the promise to yourself to stay the road of prioritization.

Commitment is important because when you run into a problem, your first thought will be to solve the challenge. If you haven't made the commitment, your first thought will be to get out of doing the job. When you make a commitment to prioritize your time - things happen - goals are achieved and most importantly it demonstrates that you are dependable. Even though you're leaving town, you're not going to leave any unfinished business for others to handle. Your principles come through. So get out of town and learn how to prioritize your schedule.