Gosh, time really flies. I really wish there was more time for 2021, but it will come to an end soon. For me, this is a year for change. Change means that we can no longer rely on the previous experience to perform things.
I’ll keep this post concise as the time is precious. Here are a few things which I have realized their importance in 2021:
- Time and attention/focus is invaluable. Use them wisely.
With more and more responsibilities, the time and how to use them (attention/focus) becomes more and more important. In the past, I often fall into the trap of focusing on details indefinitely. But now is a time to employ a more controlled approach. Context switch takes a large amount of time, seriously. So keep in mind that you can only focus on one thing at a time, and allocate the proper time for your focus. If not making progress after some time, think it through (reflection) before restarting.
A few questions can be asked during this process:
- Is this thing important enough to devote more time to it?
- Are there any alternatives for the current approaches?
- Is there any way to find help?
- Can I list or draw a graph of how things should proceed?
2. Discard old things to embrace the new ones.
Only when you are not afraid to discard old habit/belongs/ways of doing things can you embrace the new adventures. Clean up the closet, remove the old files brings fulfillment. When something is there for some time and you are not touching it, ask if we still want to keep it.
Clear the old thoughts, keep the opened tab minimum, get rid of the things no longer needed.
3. Leave time for reflection.
This is important to check if we are still in the right trajectory. Nowadays, things change rapidly, and no one can make a perfect plan ahead of time. Reflection adjusts the directions and make our focus stay in the prioritized tasks.
4. Keep things organized.
There are so many things that need our attention. Like the importance of a search engine, keeping things organized helps us find the right information at the right time. Also take advantage of various tools — instead of remembering things, set reminders for them.
5. Don’t be afraid to negotiate.
It never hurts to try to negotiate or ask for more information.
6. Try not to be angry — and stressful
It only hurts the health, which is the most important things of all.
7. Avoid burnout — acknowledge the need of time for myself.
Work is work. Avoid too attached to work and burnout — similar to the health argument above.