1. Time Management
In this fast-paced life, and most working environments, it is a key life skill to learn how to manage your time well, often you may have multiple projects on the go, numerous deadlines with work, paying your bills on time or even grocery shopping can all be a bit too much. And not knowing how to prioritise tasks can lead to a lot more added stress in our lives.
In a working environment showing that you can perform well under pressure, stick to deadlines, respond efficiently leaves a very good impression on your superiors. They will notice the potential you have to manage even bigger projects or events and may even end up giving you more responsibility and that promotion you wanted.
Create checklist of tasks you need to accomplish and sorting them into today, this week or this month can help organise your list and prioritise what needs to be done, with certain deadlines. Setting short term goals will increase your productivity at work, so if you know that you have to send them 3 important emails by the end of the day, you will have checked them off your list and then can move on to the next items without feeling overwhelmed. prioritise the most important to the least important and set deadlines is key here.
This will also help you manage your time better if you plan your week ahead. List down any appointments you have ahead and use a calendar. This will help you stay focused and organized.
2. Basic Cleaning Skills
Ever heard of the saying clean room is a clean mind well it is not exactly wrong. Keeping your living space and your car clean will improve your quality of life. And yes, I said car because most of us spend a lot of time in that vehicle whether we want to or not. Yay Malta’s traffic! Having a good habit of cleanliness will make you appreciate and take better care of your things. Learning effective cleaning methods will help you help you keep your home and possessions clean, but also you will feel better about yourself and feel much more organised. Plus, won’t be embarrassed to have anyone over such as friends or family. Also, cleaning can be a very good stress reliver scrubbing away at a dirty pan and seeing it shine after can bring about a certain satisfaction. Try it next time you are having a stressful day come home, put on soe music and do some deep cleaning. See how your mood will change after.
3. Know How to Budget
Budgeting is not something we are really taught unless you go into accounts, but why? We all use money, right? Some people look at the word budget and freak out, this does not need to be a 20 page excel sheet. This can be something very simple and learning to manage your finances will be extremely beneficial. The last thing you want to do is blow 100 euro on a new pair of trainers when you have an internet bill on the way. So how do you do this? Simple.
Write down all of your expenses that you pay for on a monthly basis for example, your mobile contract, rent, or any loans you have, basically anything you HAVE to pay for then deduct that amount form your monthly salary. With the rest you know you have to buy food and have a social life. Now, if you want to save for something perhaps a holiday then see how much realistically you can leave in your bank account and always keep track of how much you are spending daily.
4. Be on Time
Being fashionably late is not cool at all and being fired from your job even less cool. Being prepared and on time show that you are reliable person and have respect for not only yourself but others. Time is precious so making people wait for you, just because you couldn’t be bothered to get up on time is not a good look. If you know your like to snooze your alarm in the mornings and you have to be up at 6am set an alarm for 5.30, 5.45 and 6am this means you would have snoozed the first two alarms so, by the third it is time to get up. Give yourself enough time to get ready in the morning, plan how long it actually takes you to get ready, make your lunch etc. If you are going somewhere new plan the night before how long the journey will take to get there and take into consideration the time of day. It is always better to be early than late. This gives you time to relax, have a coffee and plan your day ahead rather than rushing and showing you respect others.
If you think that you can benefit from professional support on this issue you can reach out here.
Stef Gafa’ is a counsellor with Willingness who has a particular interest in trauma, attachment, domestic violence and the LGBT community.