Time really flies very fast and before you know it, you already have reached your retirement.  But how should you prepare for that day that actually means that you start another phase of your life?

1. Know your retirement needs

Retirement is expensive. Experts estimate that you’ll need about 70% of your pre-retirement income. Lower earners will need 90% or more to maintain your standard of living when you stop working. Understand your financial future.

2. Find out about your Social Security benefits 

Social Security pays the average retiree about 40% of pre-retirement earnings. Call the Social Security Administration at 1-800/772-1213 for a free Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement (PEBES).

3. Learn about your employer’s pension or profit sharing plan

If your employer offers a plan, check to see what your benefit is worth. Most employers will provide an individual benefit statement if you request one. Before you change jobs, find out what will happen to your pension. Learn what benefits you may have from previous employment. Find out if you will be entitled to benefits from your spouse’s plan. For a free booklet on private pensions, call the U.S. Department of Labor at 202/219-8776.

4. Contribute to a tax-sheltered savings plan

If your employer offers a tax sheltered savings plan, such as a 401(k), sign up and contribute all you can. Your taxes will be lower, your company may kick in more, and automatic deductions make it easy. Over time, deferral of taxes and compounding of interest make a big difference in the amount of money you will accumulate.

5. Ask your employer to start a plan

If your employer doesn’t offer a retirement plan, suggest that they start one. Simplified plans are available to certain categories of employers. For information on simplified employee pensions, order Internal Revenue Service Publication 590 by calling 1-800/829-3676.

6. Put money into an Individual Retirement Account

You can put $2,000 a year into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and delay paying taxes on investment earnings until retirement age. If you don’t have a retirement plan (or are in a plan and earn less than a certain amount), you can also take a tax deduction for your IRA contributions. Withdrawals prior to age 59 may be subject to a 10% penalty tax.) IRS Publication 590 contains information about IRAs.

7. Don’t touch your retirement savings

You’ll lose principal and interest, and you may lose tax benefits. If you change jobs, roll over your savings directly into an IRA or your new employer’s retirement plan.

8. Start now, set goals, and stick to them

The sooner you start saving, the more time your money has to grow. Devise a plan, stick to it, and set goals for yourself. Start saving now, whatever your age.

9. Consider basic Investment principles

How you save can be as important as how much you save. Inflation and the type of investments you make play important roles in how much you’ll have saved at retirement. Know how your pension or savings plan is invested. Financial security and knowledge go hand in hand.

10. Ask questions

Talk to your employer, your bank, your union, or a financial advisor. Be sure the answers make sense to you. Get practical advice and act now.

Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. -Mark Twain. With all due respect to Mark Twain, I think there is a better way. Work can be fun. Any work can be turned into a game.

Here are a few ideas to help you find the fun in any job:

1. Play music

Turn on your CD player, MP3 player or even the radio. Music has the ability to draw our minds away from the more disheartening aspects of any job.

2. Make your work a competition

If you are working with someone else, make it a race to see who can get it done soonest. Or who can complete the most of each task.

3. Just dive in

Most of our feelings of dread disappear once we become immersed in a project. Whatever it was that made us put it off or want to avoid it, just goes away once we get started.

4. Ask yourself, "What can I find to enjoy about this?"

Few jobs are totally devoid of any feelings of satisfaction that comes from just doing it. Psychologically, we need work in order to be happy. Work itself is often its own reward. Make an effort to find what gives you satisfaction in the job at hand.

5. Keep score

If your job is to make cold calls all day, keep records of how many calls you make. Break down how many you make before noon, how many you make each hour and how many you make for the entire day. Then on subsequent days, see if you can beat your previous day’s numbers. This builds a challenge into the job instead of it being one huge objective.

6. Can you make your job a team effort?

Involve a friend or work side by side with someone whose company you enjoy. Companionship can make most experiences more enjoyable.

7. Take breaks

Don’t let fatigue rob you of any joy that comes from doing good, honest work. Stop occasionally and stretch or walk around. Come back to the job when you feel refreshed.

8. Break the job down into more manageable tasks

Big jobs tend to overwhelm us and demoralize our will. By making a big job several smaller jobs, you can enjoy that feeling of satisfaction sooner and more often as you cross each small job off your list.

9. Do quality work

Sloppy, get it done work feeds no one’s ego. There are tremendous psychological rewards that come when we know we just produced good work. This sounds silly, but I have gone back into a clean garage, after spending my entire Saturday morning straightening it out, just to look at and appreciate my own workmanship.

10. Change the setting

Can you take the job outside? If you have a back deck on your house, take some jobs outside and enjoy a beautiful day while you work. Do you remember those beautiful Spring days when a teacher might have occasionally taken the entire class outside to teach outdoors? Try to do that with your own work.

Work is what you make it. Few jobs are as boring or agonizing as we sometimes make them. If you can turn work into fun, how much more enjoyable would your entire life be?

COPYRIGHT 2006, Charles Brown. All rights reserved.

About the Author - Just a few years after attempting suicide because every area of his life was in crumbling apart, Charles Brown has learned to literally "re-wire" and "re-program" his brain to achieve success in everything he attempts. He now teaches others how to use neuro-linquistic programming (NLP), subliminal technology, self hypnosis, and other methods to make major changes in their lives. He is the author of the free downloadable ebook, The Science of Change: How To Re-Program Your Mind and Transform Your Life. This ebook has 49 pages of transformational information and can be downloaded at http://www.geocities.com/chbrown56

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Brown

Everyone wants to have a great work day.     You want to go to work, get the job done and head for the horizon with a smile on your face.   It’s easy to have a good day at work if you prepare in advance and keep a good running list of how to get through with the most happy day.

Here are the top 10 ways to have a happier workday -

1. Eat breakfast

If you skip breakfast, you won’t be at your best during the morning.   You will more likely gorge yourself at lunch and have a sleepy afternoon.   So eat something, anything (within reason) so you can ensure a smooth start.

2. Get plenty of sunshine

Sun in the morning signals the body and mind to wake up.   So instead of reaching for a big cup of Joe, put on your shoes and go outside.

3. Get Aerobic Exercise

while you are getting your sunlight, use it as an excuse to get a good walk or jog in.   Exercise lowers stress, gets your blood moving and wakes you up.

4. Avoid RSS, EMAIL or phone before 10 am

RSS, email and phone demand immediate attention.   Whereas your goals and work for the day can easily be brushed to the side.   If you can avoid the urgent and unimportant until 10 or 10:30, you’ve got a fighting chance at getting all of the important tasks done.

5. Think positive thoughts not negative

Seems simple, but many people never do it.   Instead of looking on the worst side, try to see the bright side.   Ask yourself “what is the advantage of this situation?”   “how am I benefiting from this?   What am I learning?”   These are all good questions that you can ask in all negative situations to turn them to the positive.

If you push on one task for too long you your work starts to suffer.   It’s easy to become tired and frustrated.   So every 30 – 45 minutes, take 5.   Get up from your desk, stop what you are doing and get your mind off your work for awhile.   You’ll find you’ll return with more ideas and renewed energy.

7. Go for a mid-day walk

again, I’m harping on the exercise.   Getting a brisk walk in over lunch (even if for only 10 minutes) will get you to feeling better about your afternoon.   Where most others are sitting around digesting, you can be energizing.

8. Avoid gossip

One drain on your day is gossip.   It may seem fun and exciting to learn some juicy tidbit about your officemate or boss.   But good gossip is always negative talk.   Negative talk starts the pendulum swinging toward negativity.

9. List your top 5-7 objectives for the day and break the list down to 3

It’s good to get in the habit of making lists, it’s bad to make long lists.   If you’ve got more than 5 items on your list, break it down to the top 3 things (you can always go back and edit in another task or two).   But with a list of 20 things, how can you not be overwhelmed? 3 is a manageable, magical number.   Break your list down to 3.   Anybody can do just three things right?

10. Be slow to react to other people’s “urgent” requests

When someone else asks you for help, to do a project or to meet some other urgent need, practice saying “what’s your deadline on this?   or when do you need this done?” Then schedule that day.   Most people when asked one of those questions realize it’s not as urgent and will set a future date.   That way, you can go back to working on one of your top 3 activities.

Out of work? That doesn’t mean you’re also out of opportunities. Any single one of the ten methods below will help you stay marketable. If you try all ten suggestions, you’ll dramatically increase your odds of landing a new job, client, or key relationship:

1. Take a class 

Classes help you build new skills, meet people, and expand your marketable offerings. Day classes or workshops can cost as little as $25. Find classes at your local Chamber of Commerce, professional organization, or community college. Be sure to network while you’re there! If you’re considering a career change, low-cost classes are also a great way to find gauge your aptitude in your field of interest.

2. Join an interest group 

Try to make it an in-person, rather than online, interest group. Meeting people face-to-face is still the best way to network. Career- or industry-themed groups will help you network and learn new tricks. Non-career-themed groups will also help you meet people who could guide you to a new job.

Meetup.com has an extensive selection of themed meetups around the country. Social media outlets like Facebook and LinkedIn also host local groups. You can also look up local branches of national organizations, or try your local Chamber of Commerce.

3. Volunteer 

Volunteer or do a pro bono project for your favorite nonprofit. Stretch yourself, do a good job, meet people, and boost your resume. Bonus: Help people while you’re at it. It’s win-win-win.

4. Attend a conference

Conferences stoke your creativity and provide excellent networking opportunities. You’ll meet major players in your field, learn about new innovations, and get a roundup of new opportunities. Conferences can be pricey. Consider it an investment–if you work the conference right, you’ll come out with invaluable new contacts and opportunities. If you have your own business, a conference also makes fantastic tax write-off.

5. Use social media

If you don’t already have a LinkedIn account, create one! Link up with friends and groups, then join industry-specific groups to learn more about happenings in your industry. Contribute to discussions so that people get to know you.

Try Twitter out. Send quality tweets. Build a network based on solid, interesting content. Follow people you admire. If give Twitter a fair try and still hate it, leave. At least you tried.

Set up a blog. Write quality content. Comment on other peoples’ blog posts. Follow bloggers you like. Build a network. Try it out–it might just go somewhere.

Join Facebook. Put positive content in your profile and on your Wall. Facebook, like any social media vehicle, can either be a tool or a time-waster. Harness it for your own good.

6. Join a job search group  

Job-Hunt.org has a killer resource on societies, associations, and organizations that support job hunters. Social media outlets like Facebook and LinkedIn also host job search groups. Independent job search groups have also been cropping up around the country. Look for them on Craigslist or your local Chamber of Commerce. Ask around–your neighbor could be hosting one.

7. Learn a new language

Knowing a language opens you up to all kinds of new work possibilities. For example, knowing another language will give you an edge in most multinational corporations. If you get good at your language of choice, you can offer translation or interpretation services. You can even go work in your country of choice.

8. Consult 

Have you built up a strong area of expertise over your career? Harness it for the benefit of others. Start by defining where and how you can help people. Set a price. Then email everyone in your network. Tell them what you’re doing. Ask if they know someone who could use your help. Once you start getting responses, business is just a few steps away.

(Entrepreneur Magazine has a great article on starting a consulting business.)

9. Set up a business 

Even if your business only picks up occasional work at the beginning, having a legal entity in place will open you up to valuable tax write-offs. Do the paperwork (it’s easy). Devise a business plan and strategy, but don’t worry if it doesn’t immediately take off. You have about three years to be unprofitable before the IRS starts asking questions.

10. Teach a class 

If you know a subject well, tell other people about it by teaching a class or workshop. You can market yourself, your services, and/or your business through the workshop. Contact your local community college. Research how much you have to charge if you rent a space yourself and market the workshop. Speak at a conference or tradeshow. Teach through your local Chamber of Commerce. Where there’s a venue, there is a way.

1. Don’t bother prioritizing your organization’s overall project load

After all, if there’s a free-for-all approach to your overall program management (i.e., “survival of the fittest”), then the projects that survive will be those that were destined to survive. In the meantime, senior management need not trouble themselves aligning projects with strategic goals or facing the logical imperative that people simply cannot have 12 number one priorities!

2. Encourage sponsors and key stakeholders to take a passive role on the project team

Let them assert their authority to reject deliverables at random, without participating in defining project outcomes in a high-resolution fashion. And above all, don’t bother project sponsors when their constituents (such as key SMEs and reviewers) drop the ball and miss their deadlines.

3. Set up ongoing committees focusing on management process

such as TQM groups, etc. and make project team members participate in frequent meetings and write lots of reports… preferably when critical project deadlines are coming due.

4. Interrupt team members relentlessly

preferably during their time off. Find all sorts of trivial issues that "need to be addressed," then keep their beepers and cell phones ringing and bury them in emails to keep them off balance.

5. Create a culture in which project managers are expected to “roll over” and take it when substantive new deliverables are added halfway through the project

After all, only a tradesperson like a plumber or electrician would demand more money or more time for additional services; our people are “professionals” and should be prepared to be “flexible.”

6. Half way through the project

when most of the deliverables have begun to take shape, add a whole bunch of previously unnamed stakeholders and ask them for their opinions about the project and its deliverables.

7. Encourage the sponsor to approve deliverables informally

(with nods, smiles, and verbal praise); never force sponsors to stand behind their approvals with a formal sign-off. (In other words, give ‘em plenty of room to weasel out of agreements!)

8. Make sure project managers have lots of responsibilities and deadlines, but no authority

whatsoever to acquire or remove people from the project; to get enough money, materials, or facilities; or insist on timely participation of SMEs and key reviewers.

9. Describe project deliverables in the vaguest possible terms

 so sponsors and reviewers have plenty of leeway to reinvent the project outputs repeatedly as the project unfolds.

10. Get projects up and running as quickly as possible

don’t worry about documenting agreements in a formal project charter, clearly describing team roles/responsibilities, or doing a thorough work breakdown analysis. After all, we know what we’re doing and we trust each other. So let’s get to it without a pesky audit trail!

In today’s turbulent economic times saving money is a primary concern for most people. Cutting back on luxury items is easy, however maintaining home computers and peripherals is seen as essential and therefore many overlook potential cost savings related to the equipment – specifically when it comes to printing and replacing expensive ink cartridges. This article explores ways in which you can save money on printing.

1. Proofread before printing

The best way to save ink is to proofread your documents before printing them. It may seem obvious, however many people prefer to print and then proofread documents, resulting in multiple versions of the same document being printed – each one with minor modifications. By proofreading and correcting documents first, you will save on both ink and paper.

2. Print multiple pages per sheet

Printing lengthy documents wastes a lot of paper and ink. By changing the pages per sheet option in your printer settings to print multiple pages on one sheet, you can shrink the size of the document thereby saving on both ink and paper. Keep mind that the text size is reduced and therefore too many pages per sheet can make the document difficult to read.

3. Set the print mode to draft

Instead of constantly printing using high or best print quality, set the printer default to draft mode and only change it to the best quality print on the final version of the document. This will save a lot of ink from being wasted on document revisions.

4. Print in black and white

Color cartridges are generally more expensive than black ink cartridges. Change the default printer settings to monochrome or black print cartridge only to ensure that only the black cartridge is used. Not only will you save your color ink but the documents should be printed faster.

5. Select the right paper

If you print a variety of documents and photographs which use different types of paper, ensure that you select the correct paper type in the printer properties options. Also check that you have inserted the correct paper into the printer before printing the document. A lot of ink is used when printing glossy documents and photographs, by double-checking your settings you can prevent unnecessary reprints.

6. Exercise good printer housekeeping

As with all equipment, printers need to be maintained to ensure optimum performance. Keep the printer heads clear of dust by spraying them with compressed air. Print a test sheet at least once every two weeks to ensure that the ink nozzles do not become blocked with dried ink. By performing regular housekeeping, you can prevent printer problems and also save on replacing ink cartridges.

7. Replace the cartridges only when they are empty

Most printers will display a low ink warning message long before the ink cartridges are empty. Change your print quality to a lower setting and continue to use the ink cartridge until you can see a visible difference in print quality. You can save a substantial amount of money by only replacing ink cartridges once they are completely dry.

8. Buy replacement cartridges

Manufacturer ink cartridges are generally more expensive than generic cartridges. Buying generic replacement cartridges from specialist online printer and ink cartridge suppliers can drastically reduce your printing costs. Often the difference in print quality is negligible therefore you should only consider using manufacturer cartridge for high quality, high resolution prints.

9. Use ink refill kits

The cheapest replacement option is to use an ink refill kit. At a fraction of the cost of a replacement ink cartridge, refilling your cartridges offers the best savings. There is generally a visible difference in print quality between a refilled ink cartridge and a replacement, or manufacturer, cartridge as getting the color balance correct can be tricky. It is advisable to use refilled cartridges for drafts and low resolution prints only.

10. Buy ink cartridges in bulk

Many online retailers offer special discounts when you buy multiple cartridges. Shop around for the best deals and save a bundle on replacement or manufacturer cartridges instead of buying single cartridges at over inflated prices from high street retailers.

These few options can vastly reduce your printing costs however the key point to remember is that the more you print, the faster your ink will run dry. So print only when it is necessary; use the lowest print quality acceptable and shop around for the best deals on ink cartridges.

Being a geek myself, I think this is a subject I think needs to penetrate all levels of management in every company that values their geeks. By no means is this a rant, but for the last 10 years I’ve seen what motivates us and what doesn’t. I’ve seen the managers that just don’t get it. I’ve seen those that understand completely and react accordingly. So, I thought I’d share my observations and see what everyone has to add as well.

1. Geeks are curious. Let them feed their desire to learn things

I don’t know how much emphasis I can place on this point. You can take the ultimate geek…give them a rocking’ compensation package…and give them “rubber-stamped” projects (same tasks over and over) for two years and they’ll probably quit anyway. This point is based on the notion that if a geek feels his ability to gain knowledge is hindered he’ll try to find it somewhere else. Let them satisfy their curiosities with the task of picking up the latest technologies and applying them as they see fit. (Even if it’s just for a prototype.)

2. Geeks like to be self-sustaining. Let them figure things out on their own

I haven’t met a true geek yet that wants you to hold their hand through every step of an implementation. In fact I’ve seen quite the opposite. They want to do things their way. If you suggest something, odds are the solution is wrong in their mind because it’s not what they would have come up with first. There’s many ways to complete a task in the technical arena, why cram your solution down their throats? Don’t hinder their creativity, just let them figure it out. The exception to this is probably in design. You obviously have to define your interfaces between components and have your requirements for the implementation. Let the details get figured out by whoever’s doing the dirty work. You can optimize things later if they aren’t up to par.

3. Geeks are creative even if they don’t know it. Give them a chance

One thing I’ve seen is that most geeks don’t see themselves as very creative. Give them the task of creating a GUI tool of some sort and they’ll butcher it up and say “get someone with art talent on the job; I just know how to make it work”. Now this may be true as far as what’s appealing to the eye, but geeks have creativity inside them somewhere.

When you give them a requirement for a component that’s just out of reach with the normal cookie-cutter solutions, who’s jumping at the chance to dig on the web for solutions that could work? Who’s rattling off a dozen ideas for things to try that might work with the newfound constraints? That’s right, it’s management.(Just kidding, though everyone has their moment…who knows? Some managers are geeks too.)

Even if none of the solutions the geeks come up with will work, it’s a vast pool of creative ideas to feed from. Though they see themselves as equation-solvers with little creativity, I see it as opportunity. Let them apply their creativity. They love to be in the brainstorm process instead of pushed to the wayside as a later-used resource.

4. Geeks need tools, good ones. Give them more than they need

I’ve seen way too many people get frustrated over their hardware’s inability to keep up with them. There’s nothing worse than having a machine that you have to wait on. Bill Gates based his entire company idea on the fact that hardware was going to be unlimited and it allowed him to grow an empire. Had the PC not been able to gain ground as fast as it did in the marketplace Microsoft may have had a different story.

With geeks it’s not much different. Give them unlimited hardware (hell, just give them just a little more than they think they need) and their productivity and creativity will definitely increase. Best of all, it’ll motivate them. Geeks can’t wait to see what they can do with the ultimate environment. Give a geek the latest-released workstation with maxed hardware and you’ll most likely get a little more than you bargained for from them just because they’re motivated enough to push the system to its limits.

5. Private, yet collaborative. Geeks need to be left alone, but not too alone

I’m really on the fence with this one depending on the project. I’ve seen the case for both putting geeks in offices with doors, and I’ve seen the case for putting everyone in a big non-walled room with the extreme environment at its best. Personally, I like a combination of both. Geeks want to be left alone when they know what their assignment is. Give geeks a problem to solve, and first thing they’ll want to do is run off and come back with something that fits.

Isolation is great for getting things done when you know what’s there, but collaboration is ideal for environments where people can feed off of each other. I think geeks are motivated by the idea of a collaborative environment with their team where they can retreat to a hole-in-the-wall somewhere and not be disturbed while they get into “the zone” and crunch out their tasks.

6. Free stuff. T-shirts, food, desktop widgets, whatever

It amazes me to no end how free stuff can motivate someone. Geeks could care less about the free company logo pens you hand out. I’m talking real free stuff here. I was on a project once where for two solid months dinner was ordered every night for anyone working late to meet the deadline. I couldn’t believe how many people stayed just because it was easy to do it. Not only that, they were happy to do it!

The power of free things is that it’s generally more motivating when it’s a surprise. If everyone expects it all the time, it’s not really as cool. In my opinion, even if a geek expects free food every Friday afternoon it’s not going to motivate him any less than if you do it every random(6) Fridays.

I’ve seen geeks go out of their way doing some pretty silly things just to get free t-shirts at conferences. The vendors caught onto something right away and have been milking it for everything it’s worth. They know geeks love free stuff, even if it’s crap.

7. Control

This particular point amuses me somewhat actually. I’ve never really met a true geek that didn’t love power. Not the kind of power that an executive has in a company. I’m talking about the power of knowing the inner workings of a complex system that the company benefits from. The power of being able to hop onto a server and manage to be in the top three frag-count players on every map…while everyone else just watches in amazement. The power of knowing that no matter what comes along as a surprise you can figure something out that will work no matter what.

More to the point, geeks like to control their lives. Most of them (well, us) are control freaks that like to do things their own way. Be it control over how to implement their component, design their circuit board, cross out mundane sections of documentation that make no sense except to the business user until it’s re-written, see where they’re headed after the current project…whatever. If a geek doesn’t feel in control, the anxiety will kick in and chip away until greener grass starts to grow on another company’s lawn. Lay out the plans, stick to the plans, and give a comfortable level of control to the geeks and their motivation will feed itself.

8. Geeks need recognition

Having a purpose plays a big role in geek motivation. If geeks don’t feel like they’re needed or appreciated, they’ll begin to wonder if they belong. If someone pulls off some completely unexpected progress by using their creative genius mind, by all means give them some public praise. Feed their desire to do more by giving them the reputation they deserve. The first couple times I was put in front of a VP that really liked what I’d done for their bottom line with my applications, I had such an adrenaline rush that I couldn’t wait to get out there and kick some more ass.

Some may claim to just do it for the general cause of figuring things out and being just another team member, but deep down inside it still has to feel great to know that others are motivated by your accomplishments. Taking credit for a project at a high level in front of management w/o praising the hands-on folks is never the way to go. Giving proper recognition to the true hands-on geeks that are doing most of the grunt-work really motivates them to do more.

9. Freedom

Now, I don’t mean for everyone to get some picture in their mind of geeks lining up to see the last scene of Braveheart, but sometimes I just want to lean back and re-enact that scene in front of everyone I know. Hindering geeks’ ability to use the applications they want or being able to configure their machines they way they like is not the way to go. Give them the tools, but then motivate them by allowing them to really use them the way they can by giving them the free reign to set things up however they want. Companies try to hinder their employees so much by limiting access to things when it really just doesn’t matter. If the geek can’t get his job done with all the freedom given to him, then you don’t want that geek working for you anyway.

This probably lines up with the control point quite a bit, but I think it’s a bit separate in what’s being controlled. Keep the freedom for the geek as much as possible, and they’ll hesitate to look elsewhere since most places don’t do this.

10. Compensation – Saved this for last, but geeks gotta live too

This one goes without saying in my opinion. It’s an implied motivator. Not everyone is as motivated by money as managers think, but most of them are from what I’ve seen. All the other stuff definitely adds up, but compensation is generally the first and primary motivator for most. This applies less for people starting out I think. Geeks just at the beginning of their career are more interested in what they can learn and create. Later on it’s more about compensation and perks. This point could probably be an entire post in itself, so maybe I’ll save that for later. For now, just know that proper compensation and benefits are a very key to motivating geeks.

That’s the set of motivators I think are key to really pumping up your geeks to perform. I’ve seen them work, and I’ve seen the absence of these motivators crush morale and productivity. Please feel free to add motivators that have worked for you and your geeks. What doesn’t work for you? I’m interested in hearing what others see on this subject.

If you have nothing to add, please make an exception to the corporate rule, and go forth motivating your geeks!

Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in work? Your inbox is overflowing, you have to move two stacks of papers to get to your keyboard, you have a constant nagging feeling that you’ve forgotten about something vital, and that major project you want to start work on still remains a pipe dream. Some people say they “work well under stress”, but most of us are happier, healthier and more productive when we feel that we’re on top of things. With that in mind, here are ten tips to help you stay on top of your work.

1. Don’t Take On Too Much

If you’re overworked, is it because you’re not very efficient and waste time (be honest) or is it because you simply have too much work?

All the time management tips in the world won’t give you more than twenty-four hours in a day. When you’re offered an exciting new project to be part of, when a colleague asks for a favor, or when you’re thinking about sticking up your hand and volunteering in a meeting … stop and think about your other priorities. Remember that if your day is currently full and you take on new work, something else is going to have to go. 

2. Minimize Meetings

Many time-management writers, from Tim Ferriss to Mark Forster, advocate avoiding meetings if at all possible. How often have you sat in a meeting, bored out of your skull, wishing you could be getting on with your actual work? If you’re obliged to be in regular meetings, try cutting the frequency (perhaps a team meeting every fortnight, not every week, would be just as effective) or the duration (it’s surprising how much can be accomplished in half-an-hour). If you can possibly avoid meetings, do. That goes doubly for meetings which are off-site – there’s a lot of wasted time involved in getting there and back. 

3. Make A To-Do List The Day Before

If you normally work on whatever catches your attention, you’re working ineffectively, and you’re likely to end up feeling overwhelmed. Each evening before you stop work for the day, make a “to do” list for the following day. This should cover the crucial things that you want to get done. Make sure that at least one of them is advancing a long-term project.

The next morning, start on your to-do list before doing anything else (checking email, gossiping round the water cooler, making a round of coffee). 

4. “Big Rocks First”

There’s an oft-cited time management adage “Big Rocks First”. The analogy goes like this: if you had to fill a jar with sand and rocks, it’s hard (almost impossible) to do it by pouring in the sand first then trying to fit in the rocks. But if you fit all the rocks first, the sand can simply flow into the gaps. Fit your “big rocks” – the major things you want to work on – into your day first. All the little jobs like checking email, tidying your desk and making phone calls can fit into small time-gaps in between the bigger tasks. 

5. Work In Timed Bursts

No one can sustain their concentration for hours at a time. And all of us find that we can speed up and focus well when it’s three thirty on Friday, or when we’re off on vacation for a fortnight. Take advantage of this effect by working in timed bursts: for example, work on that big report that’s been hanging over you for thirty solid minutes (no checking emails, Twitter, Facebook…) You’ll be surprised how much you can get done in a short space of time. It’s often useful to use this to do “big rocks” and then to relax your attention by attending to the “sand” tasks like answering emails. 

6. Develop Good Systems

We often work inefficiently because we just haven’t taken the time to develop a good system for something. If a particular aspect of your job is always causing you headaches, chances are that you need to fix the system you use for dealing with it. (In many cases, this means consciously implementing a system!)

For example, if you find that you’re always forgetting to follow up on action points for meetings, develop a framework to help you do this. That might mean that you schedule yourself fifteen minutes after the meeting to go through your notes and put your action points onto your to-do list. 

7. Limit Email Checking

Most of us spend far too much time on email – some companies have even started introducing “no email days”, where workers are encouraged to phone or talk face-to-face rather than use emails. Reading and replying to emails can often be a distraction from getting on with more important work.

Try “batching” your emails: instead of replying as soon as one arrives, set certain times of day (ideally, not before 10am) when you’ll read and reply to all your emails. 

8. Set Your Own Deadlines

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could set your own deadlines? Well, you can, of course: just make your deadline before the one that management (or your client) has given you. If you aim to get each project finished a few days in advance of the “real” deadline, you’ll feel considerably less stressed (you’re working to your own time, not to someone else’s) and you’ll also be able to cope with any genuine emergencies that crop up, without blowing the deadline. 

9. Delegate

One great way to stay on top of your work is to pass on low-level tasks to someone else. If you’re in management, you’re wasting your time and your company’s time when you perform tasks that a junior colleague could have carried out. If you’re self-employed, can you pay someone else to do tasks for you? For example, you might find a student willing to do some administrative tasks, and you could pay an accountant to help with your taxes.

10. Ask For Less

Depending on your job, you might be unable to delegate anything – in fact, you may be overwhelmed with other people delegating work to you!

If this is the problem, don’t be afraid to say that you’re being given too much to do. Your line manager may not realize that you’re feeling swamped. Don’t moan about having too much work, but mention your concerns that some aspects of your work aren’t getting done (or are being rushed) because you have too much else on.

So you work in a cube farm, and every day you spend there sucks more and more of your sanity away. You’re pretty sure that any day now you will be taken off in a straight jacket to work in your new padded cell. How can you avoid this? How can you hang onto a semblance of sanity when day in and day out, you spend eight hours sitting in the center of three industrial walls? It’s not as hard as you might think. Here are some suggestions to help you preserve your sanity.

1. Change it up

When your surroundings do not change, the best way to keep your cool is to change them yourself. A friend of mine has been in the same cube farm for nearly 10 years. During that time, she has made a point to randomly change the decorations in her cubicle. But she doesn’t just add a photo here and a knick-knack there. My chum is a serious Trekkie and makes a point to focus on one character (or race of characters) at a time. So one month will be Cardassian month and the next will be all about Dr. Bashir or Jean-Luc Picard. Not only has this helped her sanity, it has given her quite the reputation around the company and provided plenty to chat about.

2. Take breaklets

Most people work like this:

• Work four hours
• Take a lunch break
• Work four hours

This works for a while, but eventually it will catch up with you. Instead of sticking only to this schedule, you should mix it up. If your company allows it, split your break up into smaller breaks throughout the day. Or better yet, just randomly get up and take a stroll around the company. If you have to, grab a folder or a handful of papers and make like you’re heading for the printer. Just get up and get out of that cubicle throughout the day. Taking strolls around the company won’t just get you out of your cubicle; it will give you a bit of exercise you desperately need. If you’re feeling really daring, skip the elevator and hit the stairs!

3. Crank up the tunes

Music is the food of life. But you will be best served (as will your fellow employees) if you keep that music to yourself. Back when I had an office at TechRepublic, I was notorious for cranking up techno very loud. It didn’t dawn on me that maybe it would have been better if I’d left the volume at a respectable level. And that was with an office — not a cubicle. When you are working in a cubicle, your best bet is headphones. I also recommend that you don’t just bring in your favorite CDs and listen to them over and over. You might as well stare at the same gray-brown walls and listen to the voices developing in your head. Instead, point your PC to a nice Internet radio station. If you use Linux, you may want to open up Streamtuner as I do, and take in a whole world of music.

4. Turn to Facebook/Youtube/Twitter

I know, it sounds horrible — but I am advocating the use of social networking sites at work. However, I suggest you use them with moderation. Do not plant yourself on Facebook and stay there at the expense of your work. Instead, give yourself social breaks between tasks. Complete a task, update your status. Reconfigure that router, tweet! Or create a social networking site for your fellow workers. With this in place, your social networking will be work related. If you can’t create the site yourself, propose this to your IT staff.

5. Move your office

I don’t mean literally. But if you use a laptop, take it away from your cubicle and move to the break room or a meeting room. Do this once a week or so, and you’ll find that cubicle not nearly as life-stealing. Just make sure you are not breaking any company policies by doing so. And if the weather is nice enough (and your signal strength will reach) take that laptop outside for an al fresco workday. Just remember to have a full battery or an outlet nearby.

6. Socialize

We’ve all done it before — worked in places where we just… couldn’t… stand… the… people… we… worked… with. You can’t get along with everyone, but there should be someone you can at least form some sort of social bond with. Find someone who shares similar interests (like Star Trek, Linux, or mountain biking) so you will at least have SOMETHING to talk about (other than complaining about how you hate your fellow workers).

7. Do an Act of Random Kindness (ARK) every day (That’s why Noah built the "ARK")

This is all about karma. Do something good for a coworker every day. It doesn’t have to be big. You could pick up someone’s print job for them and deliver it to their cubicle (see number 2) or clean up an area around the office. Just make sure the act is random and anonymous. The anonymity will give you a certain pleasure as you watch others trying to figure out who did the deed.

8. Play hooky

Remember how good it made you feel back in college to skip a day of class? That feeling can be enough to get you through until the next vacation day. Find a special event or just a perfect day outdoors and call in sick. Yes, it can backfire on you if your boss takes a break and catches you playing Frisbee golf in the park. But then, if your boss catches you in the park, what exactly is he doing there?

9. Employ the Les Nessman cubicle strategy

Who can forget Les Nessman, the award-winning news director from WKRP? One of his many quirks was his belief that a news director should have his own office. Well, he didn’t — so he made do. Les lay down masking tape on the floor to create the outline of the walls of his “office.” He even included a “door” that he mimed opening and closing every time he entered or exited. So what is keeping you from going “Les” on your cubicle? Tape down that fourth wall, include a door, and insist that people “knock” and use the “door” when they need to meet with you.

10. Have a sense of humor

Humor will get you through just about every situation — including cube life. Become a practical jokester, laugh at silly mistakes, let everyone see that you can take just about anything that life throws at you. But as you’re laughing it up and plotting the demise-by-joke of your next victim, always remember your company policies. Make sure your master plan does not go against any company rules, or the HR department will have the last laugh. Above all, have fun, enjoy your workday, and make it more pleasant for everyone around you.

Some people claim they work well in a high-stress environment.  I’m not one of them.  My productivity is highest when I’m fully relaxed.  With inspiring goals I still feel a positive urging to get my work done, but the pressure to work stems from passion instead of fear.

When considering changes to your workspace, here’s rule #1:  If it feels right to you, it is right.  That rule is primary; other specific suggestions are secondary.

With that in mind, here are 10 suggestions for creating a more relaxing workspace:

1. Make your workspace look attractive to you

Must a professional workspace be a sterile sea of beige and gray?  Remember that where you work, you also live. Given the amount of time you’ll be living in your workspace over the course of your lifetime, it makes sense to add some visual appeal. The first time you see your workspace each day, you should feel good about it.  It should be attractive to you.  Really it should be your favorite place in the entire building, house, or campus.  If you’re in your workspace right now, please step outside for a minute, and then re-enter it while paying close attention to your sense impressions.  What’s the very first emotional response you can detect?  Do you feel stressed?  Overwhelmed?  Bored?  Apathetic?  Focused?  Peaceful?  Is this an emotion you experience often while working?

Now choose the emotion you want to feel, and experiment with different visual elements to see how they alter your feelings.  Try new furniture, photos, posters, mirrors, flowers, knick knacks, toys, statues, rugs, artwork, crystals, etc.  If you have the necessary control, you can also tweak the lighting in your workspace to create the right type of mood.  I know a programmer who works in a completely dark room with no windows, he loves it.

2. Clear out the clutter

One look at a cluttered workspace, and you get a sense that the person working there is stressed, overwhelmed, and disorganized.  Years ago I read about a study that concluded most managers will not promote a person with a messy workspace into a position of responsibility.  It’s assumed that if you can’t organize your physical environment, you’re probably incompetent to a certain degree and can’t be trusted.  And if layoffs happen, you can imagine who the most obvious targets are.

But even more critical is the effect a cluttered workspace has on your focus.  It’s difficult to feel centered when you’re surrounded by unfinished tasks that constantly remind you of what you haven’t done yet.  Ideally the only paper items on your desk should be directly related to the current task at hand.  Store everything else in drawers, shelves, or cabinets.  Many people notice a dramatic improvement to their productivity when they try this.

3. Add plants

Plants are a wonderful way to add life to a lifeless workspace.  Use only living, oxygen-generating plants, not lifeless fake ones.  Water them as needed to keep them healthy.  Over time you’ll find that your plants begin to resonate with you and become a reflection of you.  Dying plants = dead career.  Fake plants = appears successful but empty on the inside.  Healthy plants = healthy career.  Lots of plants = abundance.  Bring yourself back to nature by adding some plants to your workspace, and you’ll find yourself enjoying the environment much more.

4. Make it smell good

Australian dentist Paddy Lund has his staff bake fresh muffins for his patients daily.  Think about how a dentist’s office usually smells.  Now imagine walking into one that smells of blueberry muffins.  Along with other changes, this reportedly helped Lund increase his income by a factor of 10.  I’m not suggesting you add a Holly Hobby Easy Bake Oven to your workspace, but there are plenty of practical ways to make it smell better than cleaning supplies.

If you don’t like candles, there are other options for improving the smell of your office.  You can get a diffuser and fill it with essential oil, add some potpourri, or even try sliced lemons.  Be careful when considering chemical air fresheners though, as there are reports they can pose health risks.

5. Play relaxing music

Experiment with different types of music to see what effect they have on your stress level and productivity.  Use headphones if you need to keep from disturbing others.

6. Get a decent chair

Most likely you’ll use your chair more than any other object in your workspace, so consider investing in a good one.  Today there’s an assortment of oddities you can sit on, including knee chairs, balls, and more.  Head to an office supply store and find something that suits you.  If your company won’t get you a decent chair, then consider buying your own.

7. Add a portable fan

Even with good air conditioning, you might have periods where you just want to feel a little cooler, or maybe you’d like a bit of air circulation.  Use a small portable fan to keep your comfort level right where you want it to be.

8. Add a fountain

If you find the sounds of running water soothing, consider adding a small fountain to your workspace.  You can get a basic one for under $20.

9. Personalize your space

Does your workspace look like an automaton works there, or does it include elements that are uniquely you?  Remember that your workspace is your living space for much of your day, so make it livable and not just workable.  A good way to accomplish this is by adding items that hold emotional significance for you.

10. Establish "Do Not Disturb" periods

Negotiate a period of time each day where you turn off all outside communication, and encase yourself in a cocoon of concentration.  Put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign, turn off your phone, disable your instant messenger, and don’t check email either.  Use this time to work on the tasks that would cause you the greatest stress or which require your utmost concentration.  It’s easier to relax and focus when you know you won’t be interrupted. Some jobs obviously require more solo concentration time than others.  A computer programmer may need a lot, while a receptionist may need virtually none.  Determine how much you need to be productive, and do whatever is necessary to get it.