How to Extinguish Your Friday “Fire”
How does it make you feel when new tasks arrive on an already too busy Friday? I know what it feels like when someone asks you to do just one more thing on Friday. It’s so frustrating. But what control do you have? You can’t control the tasks coming your way, so what can you do about it? Well, actually a whole lot more than you realize. This is what we will discuss in this last installment of “10 Ways to Slow Your Pace”.
I can’t say it enough avoid new tasks on your Friday. You already have the items that have been carrying over all week. So what can you do about the new tasks that pop-up on Friday?
That Unexpected Friday Task or “Fire”
Are you tired of the unexpected fires that find their way to Friday? Sure you are; we all are. How in the world does it happen? It seems like every Friday, it’s the same way. What’s interesting is that no other day provides as big of an emotional impact when a task is presented than Friday.
The Control You Have of the New Tasks
It would appear that you have no control of what’s coming your way, but that’s not totally true. You just need to form a new habit. You may be wondering, what do I mean by that? I’m glad you asked. When we talk about habits, generally we think of our bad habits. There are good habits you know, and today I want to help you form one. When you receive a new request this Friday, your Friday, ask the requester when you can get this back to them. For example, is it okay for me to get this back to you on Monday, or Tuesday? You need to practice saying this line. It’s powerful. It’s okay to ask for permission to schedule your work. It makes you not only appear organized, you will become organized. Here’s a quote that motivated this habit for me, “[B]e sure that everything is done properly and in order.”
The reason this works so well for me is because my days are already scheduled. You can’t place anything on my calendar for today unless I move something that already exists. Then you’re faced with a choice, schedule the new task for a later date or ask permission to move someone’s tasks that has already been scheduled. At any rate, you will have to ask someone to schedule their task for a date in the future. Which seems fair… the first person rescheduled or the new person scheduled?
How to Avoid Adding the New Task to Your Friday
If your Friday is already scheduled with the tasks you need and intend to complete, the only response to new ones is can this wait until the next available time unless it’s an emergency. Then and only then will it make your Friday schedule. At the same time, you will have to move another pre-planned task to a future date. Let me warn you, don’t try to cram them both in. Give both jobs the best attention you can and not rush to push through because you can’t manage your schedule. This is what professionals do. Ordinary people can’t understand this because they’re ordinary. It takes an uncommon person to take a better approach.
Today is your Friday and your opportunity to control your Friday workflow.
Remember, you don’t have to control it. It’s not a requirement, but if you want to be the best you, it takes steps like this. The person who changes nothing is the person who remains the same.
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