Five Tips for Staying Ahead of the Avalanche

staying ahead

Five Tips for Staying Ahead

I was talking to a coworker the other day about work. He responded that he felt swamped and work was descending upon him like an avalanche. Besides the over the top hyperboles, there are many that I have talked to that feel overwhelmed by their work and that’s not good.
Stress can have negative effects on the body, mind, and spirit. Stress in one aspect of your life will often lead to more stress in other parts of your life. One real life example is Tiger Woods. It was very sad watching all parts of his life crumble in full view of the public. A balanced life is important. As one part of your life begins to crumble, there is no way to keep it from damaging other parts of your life. I would like to share 5 things that I do to sustain balance in my life, that will keep you ahead of the avalanche.

1. Set goals. Make long term goals that you wish to accomplish in your life. Break up your life into important segments and write 3 goals per segment for the year. These yearly goals should be steps toward your long-term goals. My segments are Work, Fitness, Family, and Spiritual. Write these goals out on a note card and carry the card in your wallet. Each week use your yearly goals to make weekly goals. Create plans to meet these weekly goals. Next week review how well you implemented your plans and set new weekly goals.

2. Think big picture. People often get overwhelmed by all sorts of tasks, but we need to remember the big picture. Write out what outputs are expected with your job. Instead of focusing on a report as an output, think of purpose of the report. For example, your output would be keeping your manager informed instead of updating a weekly report. Now when you look at the task of updating the weekly report you see it as the process for keeping the manager informed. Cut out process waste that doesn’t add to the desired output. Maybe there are better process that could reduce your work and improve your output.

3. Say no. Once you understand the big picture, it becomes easier to organize priorities. There are a lot of wants and needs at every work place. Saying no to wants, frees you to accomplish what needs to be done. Your boss will notice you moving the company forward.

4. Team work. If your employer has done a good job hiring, your team should complement each other. That means some of your coworker have skills you don’t have. Work together. Teams that put all their strengths together have much greater success than all members working individually.

5. Be positive. This is a state of mind. We can learn to love our job, those we work with, and all other aspects of our life. I have met people on both spectrum of life. There are some that will never be happy or satisfied with where they are in life. There are others that learn to enjoy the journey. This is a choice and it makes all the difference.
Follow GROCO on Facebook
Posted in
Safety and Health Programs: Can you make your company safer?

Safety and Health Programs: Can you make your company safer?

Safety and Health Programs: Can you make your company safer? No one wants an unsafe work environment. But unsafe or hazardous spots in your environment must first be reported before they can be corrected. That takes cooperation from all employees, including those reluctant to blow the whistle. In 2004, more than 6 million work-related illnesses…

Employee Hiring Decisions

Employee Hiring Decisions

Employee Hiring Decisions Making Better Hiring Decisions One of the most powerful ways a company can improve its profitability is to attract and retain quality employees. In the “Simple Tools to Help Make Better Hiring Decisions” session of The Work Truck Show, consultant Fred Yetka offered guaranteed ways to reduce turnover — and the wasted…

Black and White

No Longer Just Black and White

No Longer Just Black and White By Myron Curry President of BusinessTrainingMedia.com Diversity in the workplace used to hinge upon the level of responsibility, pay, and respect that one could receive based upon the color of skin and ethnicity. But, these days, diversity in the workplace has become much more than that. Most CEO’s and…

FOUR KEY DIVERSITY RECRUITMENT & RETENTION STRATEGIES

Four Key Diversity Recruitment & Retention Strategies

Four Key Diversity Recruitment & Retention Strategies From BusinessTrainingMedia.com Workforce Article Library 1) Recruitment and retention strategy. Most employers find that it is generally easier to recruit people than it is to retain them. Unless organizations create a climate that welcomes and is hospitable to those who are in some way different from the existing…