3 of 13

Write now Article Tools

Working late on the job is tough thing to overcome, due to workloads of duties that have to be done in a certain amount of time. There are some pros and cons about working late on the job.

Pros-Gives you the time to stick to a cetain task and stay on until its finished. You can save time and effort by giving yourself extra effort by every little thing you do from a certain task. Gives you time to concentrate more and more privacy since most other employees and employers are off duty and have no supervising on you to stay on task.

Cons-Even if you work past regular routine hours, you might feel tired, less energetic, and less motivatied. Even if you have a long or tough task to takle, you might feel inconsistant about finishing the task even if it has to done the next day. You might have to take longer breaks during the overtime shift, which wastes time.

Heres some tips about working and how can you balance it without being down on yourself.

-Stick to your agenda: How many times have you let a phone call or request from a colleague sidetrack you while on a way to a meeting? That's just one example of how not to be proactive in planning your daily activities. Constantly think about what needs to be done and not being distracted by impulse, or even moods.

-Make a personal deadline for yourself: A person can conceivably whittle away a whole day on one project, and not even get to the essential tasks for that day. This can be an easy trap to fall into, especially for perfectionists. To manage your time better is to establish a personal "end time" on all of your projects, well in advance of the actual deadline. To avoid burnout and stay on schedule, follow the guideline of spending an hour-and-a-half on one task, getting up for a short break, and sitting down to tackle another project.

-Managing phone calls and e-mail: Give yourself a specific amount of time to answer phone calls or e-mails during a certain time each day.

-Don't always automatically say the word "yes": Many of us impulsively agrees to help out when someone asks us for a favor or assistance with something. A better way to do things is to tell the people that you have to check your other commitments and appointments, and then get back to them with your answer.

-Fit "small" tasks between bigger tasks: Have a short 10-minute call you have to return before the end of the day? Need to run a quick message to another department? Do these things in the middle of completing your more strenuous tasks during the day. Doing so can also can give you a little mental break for your projects.

-Know what needs to get done and what can wait: What tasks absolutely need to get done today, and which ones can wait until tomorrow or next week? Schedule your time to finish those things that must get done first, and don't be distracted by the other tasks until you've completed things that are essential.

-Reassess and re-evaluate groups you've involved in: Ask yourself: Do you still find these activities interesting? Are you still needed in the group? Have your hobbies changed? It is time to join a group that better reflects your current interests? If you answered yes to these questions then it will frees up time for you to be engaged in those things that you might find more meaning in.

Learn more about this author, Jake Smart.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Views on working late: Looking for balance and avoiding burn-out?
We want to hear your view. Write now!