Aiming from being a grassroots employee to a high-ranking executive in a prestigious company is a common ambition among many in the professional realm. However, to catch the eye and be considered for pivotal roles or promotions, merely working hard isn’t enough.
There exists a group of remarkable individuals in the workplace who, apart from having clear career objectives, intelligence, and capable work abilities, exhibit certain excellent work habits that further enhance their potential. This makes them stand out in their organizations, marking them as indispensable assets in the professional environment.
These elites share several commonalities, and here we unveil 8 great work habits frequently seen among them.
Master Your Job with These 8 Essential Work Habits
1. Prioritize the “Importance Principle”
Every day, we deal with a plethora of tasks, yet not all hold the same level of importance or urgency. Given our time and energy are finite, it’s crucial that we allocate these scarce resources to the most significant tasks to maximize our output.
2. Limit Social Media Usage
The advent of social media has indeed shortened the distance between us and others, enabling us to connect with family and friends anytime, anywhere. However, every coin has two sides. While social media brings us convenience, it often distracts us from focusing on a particular task at hand.
3. Establish a Feedback Mechanism
While at work, whether you receive positive or negative feedback from your superiors, it’s essential to reflect earnestly. This feedback process can generally be broken down into four steps:
- Review objectives and identify issues.
- Assess outcomes against the set goals.
- Identify the gaps and analyze the causes.
- Summarize the experiences and establish action plans.
4. Managing Stress Effectively
Experiencing stress at work is natural. Deadlines, workload, colleagues, and supervisors can all be sources of frustration. Cultivating a habit of managing stress in a healthy way can help you maintain a positive attitude and stay focused on achieving your goals. Consider creating a plan to handle any stress you encounter at work. Below are some habits you might develop to help manage stress:
- Journaling: Writing down your worries, frustrations, and challenges can help clear your mind and release emotions.
- Practicing Breath Techniques: Since breathing affects your whole body, practicing simple breathing techniques can help relieve tension. For example, slowly inhale, counting to four, hold your breath counting to five, then slowly exhale counting to six. Repeating this exercise can help calm you down.
- Regular Exercise: Besides keeping you healthy, physical activity releases endorphins, increasing your sense of happiness. Consider starting a daily exercise routine or taking a short walk during the workday to help alleviate stress.
- Listening to Music: Music can have a relaxing effect, especially slow, calm, or classical tunes. Try listening to music with headphones while working (if it’s appropriate in your workplace) or on your commute.
5. Ensuring Ample Energy
While time is crucial during your workday, energy is equally important. If you have time but lack energy, your work becomes inefficient. So, it’s essential to find ways to keep your energy levels high.
6. Employing the Eisenhower Matrix for Long-term Priorities
As a master of time management, Eisenhower defined four situations for task prioritization:
- Important, but not urgent.
- Important and urgent.
- Not important, not urgent.
- Not important, but urgent.
Before assigning tasks to yourself, use this rule to sort out your to-do items and understand their statuses concerning importance and urgency.
7. Utilizing the 80/20 Rule
According to this principle, “80% of the results come from 20% of the efforts.” So, to cultivate good work habits, you need to identify the most valuable 20% of activities. Then, dedicate 80% of your time and energy to these, maximizing the value of your efforts.
8. Setting Goals, Not Fantasizing Wishes
Goals are the fuel and direction for our success. They make our path clearer and boost our motivation to move forward—as long as these goals are specific and achievable. On the other hand, indulging in wishes only leads to procrastination. According to Tom Corley, author of “Rich Habits,” 70% of wealthy individuals pursue a major goal each year.
If you find it challenging to achieve your goals, create a daily to-do list for yourself and try to complete at least 70% of the tasks. Achieving these short-term goals will continually motivate you to get closer to your long-term objectives.
Charting the Path to Professional Excellence
The essence of a fulfilling professional journey lies in the continual improvement of one’s work habits. These 8 work habits are stepping stones to a culture of excellence, fostering a conducive environment for your personal and professional growth.
As you embrace these habits, you’ll find yourself navigating through your daily challenges with a renewed sense of purpose and efficiency. Let these habits be your companion in charting a successful and satisfying career path. Your aspiration towards professional excellence is well within reach, with the right habits to guide you.
