A lot of people are stuck in an endless cycle of busywork. They’re putting out fires all day, running around just to keep their heads above water. It’s exhausting, and it doesn’t do anything for your career. But it can be easy to fall into this trap because there are so many distractions that keep us from doing our best work. So what can we do about it?
How to Say No to Busywork and Supercharge Your Career?
The first step to knowing how to say no is knowing what you want to achieve. What do you want your career to look like in five years? Do you want a promotion, or are you happy where you are? If yes, then what goals can help get there?
Once it’s clear what the goal is, think about whether or not the task at hand will move that goal forward. If it’s a new project that requires learning more about something outside of your wheelhouse—that’s one thing! But if it’s busywork that doesn’t further whatever your current gameplan is—avoiding this kind of thing will save time and energy for bigger projects down the line.
Work smarter, not harder
You might think you’re doing yourself a favor by taking on extra work, but in reality you’re not. By assigning yourself tasks that aren’t in your job description, you’re saying no to being able to spend time doing the things that are most important for your career and for earning more money down the road.
In addition to keeping an eye out for anything that falls outside of your responsibilities, make sure that when there’s something new coming up at work—a project or initiative that sounds like fun—you don’t jump at the opportunity without thinking about how it will affect other aspects of your life. Do some research beforehand so that you know how much time this task will take and how long it will take before results are seen (and whether those results are worth the effort).
Identify your value
When you know what you’re good at, it becomes easier to say no to busywork. If you’re an excellent writer, but not a great designer (or vice versa), then when someone gives you a design job that’s out of your wheelhouse, do not hesitate to tell them “thanks but no thanks.”
It’s also important to identify which skills are most important in your industry and company. Let’s say that one company values creativity more than attention to detail. While this may not be true for every company or industry out there, it can certainly help inform how willing they’ll be to accept “I’m sorry—I’m just not very creative” as an answer from their employees who feel overwhelmed by requests for new ideas and designs all the time.
Set clear limits and expectations
The first step to saying no is to set clear limits and expectations. This can be done by using the word “no” with coworkers and bosses, as well as writing down your priorities, time commitments, and responsibilities. You’ll have a much easier time saying no if you do this in advance so that everyone involved knows where they stand.
Prioritize your workload
The first step to saying no to busywork is to prioritize your workload. This can be challenging if you’re not used to doing it, but it’s a skill that will serve you well throughout your career.
You’ve probably heard that the average worker spends 28 hours per week working on things that aren’t important. That number may seem high, but I know from personal experience that it’s closer to reality than we might like. The key is learning how and what to prioritize so that when it comes time for decision-making, you know how much time should be spent on each task or project.
Here are some tips for prioritizing tasks:
- Focus on the big picture—what does all of this mean for me? How does this task fit into my goals? What are the long-term implications of completing or not completing it?
- Think about which tasks are most important (and thus deserve more attention). If two tasks have equal weighting but one feels more urgent than another, go with the latter; multitasking will only detract from both activities’ quality anyway!
Manage your time well
The first and most effective way to manage your time is to create a schedule. Then, stick to it. You can use a calendar or planner, but many people find that their phones work just as well—they’re always on hand and can be set to remind you of important deadlines or meetings ahead of time.
When you have a plan for what needs to be done, prioritize what’s most important first. If it’s something that needs to get done immediately (for example, an email that needs responding), then get it out of the way as soon as possible so you can move onto other tasks later in the day or week.
Don’t waste any time on social media; it’s not only unproductive but also distracting! If an update comes through while you’re working, ignore it until you’ve finished—you’ll be surer to get more done if there are no distractions like this getting in your way
Let people know how to help you
When you’re working with a team, it’s important that everyone understands what they need to do to support your work. To achieve this, make sure you have the right people on your team. When choosing employees or partners, look for people who are willing and able to take initiative—people who can take ownership of tasks and help generate ideas for improvement (even if those ideas aren’t implemented).
Once you have the right people in place, communicate clearly with them about what exactly their role is within your organization. If you feel like someone is falling behind on their responsibilities or overstepping their bounds, meet with them face-to-face so that there are no misunderstandings about what needs to be done next.
Conclusion
If you want to advance in your career, it’s important not to get bogged down by busywork. By being proactive about the things that matter most and saying “no” to everything else, you can focus on what really matters: your goals and priorities as an employee or entrepreneur.
