ARE YOU READY TO
"WORK LESS, MAKE MORE"?
Your first step should be out the office door!
Five Ways to Leave Work Early This Week
Kansas City, Missouri (October 1, 1999) -- It's hard to "Work Less, Make More®" (TM) when you feel chained to your office. It's also hard when you aren't prioritizing and really getting to the important jobs so you end up wasting valuable time on the tasks that matter least instead of those that matter most. By delegating and prioritizing effectively, you can become a little less indispensable and begin your "Work Less, Make More®" strategy one step at a time -- and that means, one step out the office door at a time. Leave your laptop, forget the briefcase, and go home!
"One of the toughest things for people to do is to actually get out of the office," says Jennifer White, executive success coach and author of the new book, "Work Less, Make More®" (John Wiley & Sons, October 1999). "In order to 'Work Less, Make More®', you have to make your commitments and stick to them. Learning how to manage your workload and administrative tasks -- and, most importantly, managing your time efficiently -- is the first step in getting you out the office door and on your way to a new 'Work Less, Make More®' lifestyle."
Once you decide what time you want to go home this week, whether it is 5:00 p.m., 4:30 or 3:00, here are five great strategies Jennifer White recommends you can do to actually follow through on your commitment and go home early this week:
Monday: Harness the Power of Three
Identify your top three activities for the week (called the Power of Three) and commit to accomplishing those three and nothing else. These top three priorities need to be things that will add tremendous value -- and will add some more money to your pocket. You know, the stuff you've been wanting to do but haven't gotten around to doing. Focus on those three activities and let the others go this week.
Tuesday: Set Aside a Support Day
Schedule one day (called Support Days) to handle all your administrative chores. Don't schedule any meetings. Don't answer your phone. Don't read e-mail. Don't let anyone come into your office to interrupt you. Just sit down and get through the stacks on your desk all day long. You'll create incredible momentum and you'll feel good about going home early.
Wednesday: Let Go of Some Work
Make a list of everything you have to do and dump the bottom 20 percent of your projects. Oftentimes, you fill your calendar and your To-Do List with tasks that make you feel important. More times than not, these activities are really useless things that you somehow believe are important. For this week only, take 20 percent of what's on your list and scratch them off. Stop thinking about them. Stop obsessing about why you're not getting them done. Just let those 20 percent go.
Thursday: Manage Your E-mail
Schedule one time during the day to read e-mail. This technology that was supposed to free us has actually become a burden. Rather than checking your e-mail throughout the day and losing the momentum you create, schedule one time during the day every day this week to read and respond to e-mail. The rule is you must handle each e-mail you receive -- no saving, no filing away for later. But only do this once a day for the next week. (You can also use this strategy for returning voice mail messages.)
Friday: Learn to Say No
Don't say yes to any new projects this week. One of the reasons you feel overloaded is you keep saying yes to new projects no matter how busy you already are. For one week, you should say no to anything that's new. No matter how great the project is, say no this week. You first need to clean off your plate before you start adding new stuff to it. It's only seven days after all.
And, don't try to make up hours by working on the weekend, advises White. That defeats the entire purpose. What you will realize is that putting in all those hours is not necessary. Manage your time efficiently, prioritize and delegate, and you can be just as productive in a shorter work week -- actually, you will be more productive.
"You can 'Work Less, Make More®'. You just have to make your commitments and stick to them," White says. "With your renewed energy and more balanced lifestyle, you will be able to concentrate on the things that really matter in your business -- putting your brilliance to work where it counts most."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A former corporate executive and small business owner, Jennifer White was one of the world's most sought-after success coaches before passing away suddenly in 2001. She was the founder of JWC Group, now based in Plymouth, Michigan, and her company continues to provide success coaching nationwide to individuals and groups. She is the author of the book "Work Less, Make More" (John Wiley & Sons, 1999), which is available at www.worklessmakemore.com, or through your local bookstore. To learn more about JWC Group, visit www.worklessmakemore.com, or call JWC Group's office at (734) 254-9970.
