Читать книгу Getting Things Done - Rus Slater - Страница 11

In work you need to be sure that the things you do are really part of your job (and that means your boss’s view of your job). Similarly, outside work you want to be sure that doing things for others doesn’t stop you doing things for yourself.

There are many reasons why people find themselves doing things at work that aren’t their job. The same goes for non-work life; whether it is doing things for your family or the community. For example:

• Their job is ill defined.

• The person who complains the least gets the task.

• This person will do it better than anyone else, either because they have the skill or the commitment.

• The task is something that a person likes, so they volunteer to do it.

one minute wonder Consider the proverb: “The cobbler’s children are the worst shod in town.” This is a description of someone who has become confused about what’s relevant to them personally.

• When does it matter if you are doing something that isn’t your job? If you are distracted into other activities that are not included in your formal targets, but which prevent you from achieving your targets, or stop you achieving them on time, then you have failed. Therefore, if you take on extra things, make sure that you really do have time for them and they are for a purpose that’s relevant to you. For example, your boss is looking for a volunteer to do a departmental survey. Nobody else wants to take on this extra work, but you volunteer because you want to know more about how the department works and you want to network with people, not because you feel obliged.

• When does it matter if you are distracted into doing things for others in your non-work life? Of course it is good to be altruistic and to help others. However, some people become so distracted by helping others that they leave no time to do the tasks that are important to them personally. For example, when you find you are spending far more time helping with the school committee than helping your own children with their homework, then you need to step back from the situation, identify your real priorities and arrange your time better. Also, if you take on extra things to help others, make sure this is not just because you are procrastinating on something else you ought to be doing for yourself, or using the other thing as an excuse. For example, have you agreed to decorate your brother’s flat because you really want to help him, or because you are secretly putting off committing to that evening class you’ve been talking about for ages?

For more advice on this subject, see Chapter 5 on saying “no”.

Remind yourself of what’s really relevant in your workload.