You’re going to work every day, putting in the hours, working as hard as you can. You’re known for being a hard worker, so when your company goes through a round of layoffs, you get to stay.
But guess what? Surviving the layoff means that there are now fewer of you to do just as much work. Congratulations, you get to work harder now!
Before you panic, you need to stop, take a moment, and evaluate. There are some who will fight and complain about the new load on their plate, but they aren’t going to make it through the next round. You will, if you follow these steps.
First, make a list of everything you need to do, all of your weekly tasks.
Next, evaluate the list. Is it something you can feasibly accomplish in a week? How many extra hours will you need to put in to make it possible?
If it isn’t feasible, ask what doesn’t have to be done. Is there any single thing that can be cut—meetings, calls, errands? Carefully comb through the list.
Once you’ve cut out everything you can, find a way to streamline your tasks. Are you constantly jumping from one thing to the next? Do you ever close your office door to eliminate distractions? Can you look over everything you have to do, and group similar tasks with similar tasks?
You may have to put in more hours. There is pain in transition, but don’t get discouraged. Remember why you’re there, what drew you to your workplace to begin with. Don’t dwell on your stress or feelings of being overwhelmed—they will only make you bitter. If you think your job is worth working to keep, then that’s what must be done.
Ultimately, you have to decide how much you’re willing to work, but know that when you do exert yourself, it doesn’t go unnoticed.
As a speaker and author, Curtis Zimmerman has impacted over one million people with his life-changing messages and award-winning programs. Curtis is an expert at transforming organizations by inspiring individuals to live their lives at performance level.
Want to be inspired? Check out his podcast The Next 24 Hours.
