THE WORLD CUP is great, even when your team doesn’t qualify!
Weeks on end filled with football, get-togethers with friends and summer fun… the only problem is there is still work to be done. So how do you stay productive during the World Cup?
Every time there is a major sporting event we hear about the hit to productivity. Hours wasted tuning into the matches and employees not showing up for work. Although there may be truth in these reports, few talk about the increase in morale and camaraderie that comes about from these tournaments. So, let’s focus on the positive and put in place a few strategies to stay productive and still enjoy the rest of the World Cup.
Advanced planning
Like most things in life, a little planning goes a long way. Take a look at the big picture in advance and decide which matches are a priority for you. Put these in your calendar and let everyone know your intentions. Communication is key to ensure no one is put out by your football fanaticism.
Being this organised doesn’t sound like you? But what about the benefits?
Stay focused in work
So now you have the matches all planned and everyone is happy. How do you actually stay focused and get as much work as possible done so you can knock off early to catch the start of the matches?
Switch off distractions
It’s nice to listen in to the updates from the matches, but my advice would be to switch off so that you can focus on the work at hand. The fewer distractions the more quickly you will get your work done and get to enjoy the match.
Eliminate the unnecessary
If you are trying to free up time to get out of work early or to take a day off after staying up in the early hours to watch a match, you will need to get your work done first. Make sure you are working as effectively as possible. Take a look at what really needs to get done and don’t waste time on trivial tasks such as email. Your inbox will distract you with lots of small tasks that may not be urgent. Process your email a couple of times a day and close it in between. See what work is not urgent and can be postponed to a later time.
Focus on the ‘big rocks’
Schedule important work to be done in your calendar and do it before you get distracted by other work. Do not open your email first thing. By focusing on the big rocks and eliminating the unnecessary work you can free up a lot more time than you would imagine. You could gain up to 45 minutes a day by being more organised.
And when possible don’t forget to delegate work, only do what only you can do.
Take action
So get going, plan in advance, communicate with those who will be affected. Have a conversation with your manager or boss about employee engagement and the benefits of keeping the office team as motivated as the football teams, you might be surprised at the result on all fronts.
Go Ireland… 2018!
Ciara Conlon is a Productivity Coach and author of Chaos to Control a practical guide to getting things done. She helps busy professionals save time and get focused. If you would like help getting organised and setting goals for 2014, Check out her online course Get Set for Success
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