Productivity

So recently I have been extremely busy writing my thesis -- too busy to sit down and maintain my blog. So much for dreams of a literary nature...but I digress. This is a good time to stop and blog about time management and productivity. One thing that can depress, overwhelm or anger anyone is a lack of organization in his or her personal life. It is interesting to see certain people in certain professions that don't seem happy to be there. Either it is because his or her career assessment got confused with someone else's in high school or because an issue existing in his or her personal life stems from a lack of priorizitation. You know what I mean...you walk into a dry cleaners or another business that allows a little freedom in down time for the employees and see the person that is supposed to help you sitting there and doing something unrelated to the nature of the business. You walk up to the counter and are greeted with a sigh and rolled eyes. "Can I help you?" he or she mumbles in that "seriously, you wait until I get into reading my novel to walk in here?" tone. The same tone that makes you feel like you've done something wrong. Don't worry though. It's not your fault. You've only given them items of your clothing to have cleaned. Silly you. Wanting to get your clothes cleaned at a dry cleaners while the employee on duty reads a novel. It's not like she had to do the cleaning. All she has to do is push the button until the letter corresponding to your last name rolls around and you identify which items are yours. But wait, you've even remembered to bring in your ticket with the number on it. She doesn't even have to ask for your name. Technology good. Lazy employee with no work ethic bad...but I digress. If this employee is you or someone you know then it's time you learned how to spread joy to others and receive your own by simple techniques to keep you organized.

1. Leave home at home.

So many people nowadays are getting hired because of the issues with other people's credit scores. This means that a qualified applicant that defaulted on his student loans may not get a job in retail because of his credit score. So, a less qualified applicant that is a friend to FICO will get the job -- despite her lack of work ethic. So you are faced with people playing Nintendo DS's and following Ashton Kutcher on Twitter on their Blackberry when they are supposed to be assisting you. If it is in fact YOU who gets the job, do the modern world a favor and leave activities that you do at home -- at home. Managers are less apt to hire someone who seems to be very inept at running a cash register but very adept at sending a text to twenty people without looking at the keys and that doesn't mean that someone should be you. Good employees are now hard to find, and it may be an inbetween transition kind of thing, but still put your best foot forward. That will go a long way in the future when you want to get a real job, and I don't mean being promoted to shift leader at Slurpee Heaven.

2. Leave work at work.

So many families and friendships end because of this one simple thing. You come home and your secretary or your co-worker didn't prioritize and now you have to pick up the slack -- after you leave the office. NO! This is a good opportunity to exercise some boundaries. You can cover a shift or two for a co-worker whose grandmother is sick in the hospital, but please don't put yourself out for an irresponsible one who just wants to get to the club before the wet t-shirt contest begins. This is a surefire way to diminish your needs and turn you into the crabbiest, most cantakerous person that ever lived on earth. When I worked as a 9-1-1 calltaker right out of college my parents, who believed in the value of a dollar, told me to quit right away. I was unhappy, starving myself and vicious to everyone that looked in my direction. I couldn't leave work in the building. I brought it home with me everyday. I took my parents' advice and never looked back. My supervisor begged me to stay and even stood behind her desk dumbfounded when I brought in a box containing my uniforms and two week notice. "What's this?" she asked me. She honestly thought I just needed new uniforms. She's probably still losing sleep at night at why turnover is just so high in the job, and even if she isn't I'm sure some work related crisis is still on her mind.

3. Make a to-do list

This seems like a no brainer and most people have decided that it doesn't work, but take my advice: IT DOES. Don't write things on the list that don't require recognition. This is where some people go wrong. Habitual things like, shower or pick up paper from end of driveway are some things that you normally do everyday. But if you've got something on your mind that you absolutely must do: "Mail mortgage payment" or take "Sparky to the vet" then these are the things that you may need to remember. You'll feel more productive at the end of the day if you compartmentalize things, meaning write down specific things that need to get done each day and set aside a specific time to do them. Weekends and holidays may be an exception -- most offices or businesses aren't open then so you'll have more free time to do other things like "mow the lawn" or "dinner with the in-laws." If you have your to-do list in a place where you can remember to do the things that need to get done when they need to get done, you'll probably have a better time everyday. And I mean that I really do. Today's list reminded me to write a blog today.

4. Value yourself!

Don't lose sleep or miss a meal over something that is not within your power to change. This is a biggie because many people don't know the difference. Here's an example: your hair color or your shoe size. Your hair color can change but your shoe size can't. How much your boss likes you or how well you do your job. You and only you can determine how well you do, and that will never be related to how much someone likes or dislikes you. If you've done your best, then that's all you can be proud of. Forget about anyone who tries to bring you down -- they don't like the view from where they are so they'd rather you see it too. 

5. Value Others!

Don't go getting all starry eyed over self-love just yet! The reality is, as I started off saying in the beginning of this blog, that we don't live on earth alone. No man is an island, and if he is, good for him, transforming himself into a mass of land. At any rate, when you do land that dream job, or even if it is an in-between kind of thing, you shouldn't think that gives you free reign to treat others badly or to only think of yourself. If everyone lived by this credo, the world would truly be a better place: maybe your barista wouldn't chew gum over your latte or that sales associate would look up from where she's been folding shirts and walk you to the sales rack. Even if they don't (most of them don't and probably won't) you should still show them the best you that there is. It may not change their mind about themselves, but you'll stop worrying about whether or not you can make everyone happy -- after all, that's not your goal. Treating them like it is, is a good way to start though.