Doing More by Doing Less
Posted May 4th, 2015
Most people want to accomplish more with their time. They want to get more done; sometimes they have to get more done. The usual course of action to get more done is by putting in more hours at work, skipping lunch to work, skipping your workout to spend more time at the office.
But some business experts, bolstered by research, are now saying this is not the most effective way to get more done. In fact, they say that the opposite approach is what is needed – trying to find more of a balance among your work, home life, spiritual life, and community involvement. When you center your efforts on those areas of your life that you care most about, even if they may not be job related, you will perform better at your job, according to studies.
But all of this is easier said than done. People may want to make adjustments to the different areas of their life, but there are obstacles they need to overcome. And many of those obstacles are internal – they are afraid of what might happen as a result, or they may feel guilty about working less, or they may not be sure about how to go about making the changes.
To make the transition easier, the experts offer some advice:
1. Make the changes gradually — just a little at a time. Say, for example, you want to cut back on the time you spend at work dealing with email and phone messages, and spend that time instead with your family. Instead of cutting back an hour a day, cut back an hour a week.
2. Plan before you do anything. Lay the groundwork first before you make any changes. For example, discuss your plan to go off the grid for an hour so each week with your supervisor. Explain to your supervisor how you think this will benefit him and the company. Find out what he thinks about the idea, and any other input he has.
3. Express clearly what you see as the benefits of your actions. How will they help not only you, but the people you interact with – coworkers, friends and family? This will help you to reduce your feelings of anxiety at making the changes. Determine with your supervisor how the changes will improve your performance at work, and establish a way of measuring the change.
It may seem downright contradictory to think that by spending more time with your children, or leaving work a little early to volunteer at a charity, or spending more time at the gym will improve your work performance, but that’s just what the experts say will happen.
The research shows that when you bring your actions more in line with your values so that you are working for improvement in all areas of your life, you will have a greater feeling of well being, and better performance at work.
If you are looking for a job in a technology-related field, and you live in the San Francisco Bay area. Bayside Solutions can help you find a position that matches your knowledge and skills. We specialize in IT, engineering, biotechnology, and other technical fields, and provide unmatched service. Give Bayside a call today.
