Working Smarter to Better Enjoy Life

The first week of the semester is an exciting time. However, despite a once-in-a-lifetime eclipse on our first day of class, I imagine many of us faculty may be feeling some stress and apprehension. We may have had a less structured, easier-going summer and now welcome a bit of focus. But back in the saddle we are remembering the demands that teaching, research, and service make on our time, energy, and stress. Additionally, we have the pressure and uncertainty coming from unprecedented budget cuts – what will this bring for us and our colleagues?

In such an environment, it’s important to keep a perspective on what’s most important: Balancing work and personal life is critical in times of stress. One way of keeping time for personal interests when your workload may be growing exponentially is to work “smarter.” Working smarter means using your time as productively as possible. Vital Smarts, the consulting firm who originated the “crucial conversations” framework suggests the following ideas for smarter work:

  • Communicate. Smarter workers ask for help and ensure they understand expectations. They do this up-front and proactively, anticipating what they may need from others and communicating it early and clearly.
  • Organize. Smarter workers record and track what needs to be done and what’s already been accomplished. They stick to timelines. They pay attention to the details that are important for success and ignore the others.

The folks who work smarter report being more likely to finish projects, enjoy their personal time more fully, and are less likely to feel overwhelmed or stressed.

Some specific tips:

  • Keep track of all your ideas. You can use a note-taking app on a smart phone, or simply a stack of notecards in your back pocket or purse. That way you don’t have to worry about forgetting creative ideas and important tasks.
  • Plow through your inboxes (the paper one, the e-inbox, your notes) every day or two. Emptying your email inbox once a day ensures you respond quickly to the critical messages. Discard stuff that’s sitting there uselessly but stressing you out. (It goes without saying to unsubscribe from those annoying emails you never read.)
  • Once a week, take an hour and set priorities for the week, keeping your semester- or year-long goals in focus. I have a colleague who blocks out work time on her Outlook calendar for every project, ensuring she’s got time for the most important things.

If you’re interested in more productivity/stress reduction/time management tips, a good start is the Vital Smarts website, which can direct you to a number of resources. I hope these “working smarter” tips help you have a great semester!