When you’ve got a pile of tedious work to complete, it might seem like a good idea to take it on when you’re feeling energised. You’re better off, however, doing the dull work when you’ve hit your slump and not everyone hits their slump at the same time.
Photo by Reuben Strayer.
Slumps might come at different times of the day for you when compared to others. You might have your slump right at the beginning of the day, after lunch, or in the afternoon during the final hours of your workday. Whenever that is for you, Alison Davis at Inc. suggests you make your slumps work for you:
The accepted wisdom is to undertake a boring burden when you’re fresh. But the problem with that approach is that you deplete all your energy on deadly dull duties, and then you’ve got nothing left for the important stuff. Savvy task managers plan humdrum projects for slumps… The only caveat: You have to overcome the impulse to say, “I’m too tired; I’ll do it later.”
The general tip of “doing the most important thing of the day first” isn’t wrong, but it’s not ideal if your slump is in the beginning of the day. Whatever your tedious work entails, put it aside until you reach your low point for the day.
Whether it’s email, organising, or crunching numbers, you’ll be able to zone out during your slump and still take care of the busy work. Figure out your slump time and make it productive in a different way.
Comments