How to be good at your job?

[Oysterbabe]

I've been in my current job for 10 years and I'm in such a massive rut. I think it's been exacerbated by covid and the switch to working fully remote. I struggle so much with motivation. I cannot focus on anything and usually by the end of the day I have about 10 half completed tasks. I cannot get control of my emails. I have literally hundreds, they date back months. I tend to avoid tasks that are hard and stressful, I worry about them constantly but dont actually do them until I have no choice. Sometimes I don't know where the day goes, I'll suddenly realise its 4pm and I've achieved virtually nothing, it's like a blur. I'm hitting deadlines by the skin of my teeth and often logging in at the weekends to finish bits.
I think I may he pre-menopausal if that makes a difference.

It's a shit job for various reasons and I have now quit. I start a new job in a few weeks and I really want to make a positive fresh start, avoid getting to where I am now and actually be a good and hardworking employee. My new role is 50% in the office.
If you have your shit together at work, how do you do it? Any tips on staying focused?

I'm typing this to avoid a task I don't want to do BTW. 😖

Organisation and setting priorities.
For example, first thing in the morning, just before lunch and just before CoB check e-mails.
Reply to anything the needs an immediate response, have a dedicated folder (with topic subfolders, if appropriate) for mails where you are in cc. No need to read at once, but set aside a time for these go through them and archive anything that is just an FYI.
Better still, write a rule that sends these mails directly to the cc folder and go through them when you have 10 unread.
Put deadlines in your calendar (with reminders).
Work back from the deadline date minus 1 and break down the activity into manageable chunks that can be achieved in, say, an hour. Plan these hours in your calendar.
This also stops people inviting you to meetings on-the-fly during those times.
Try not to have more than 4 meetings per day, especially if you need to prepare for the meeting or undertake follow-up activities.
Remember to block off time for lunch!
Another useful piece of calendar functionality is entering your standard working times, especially if you have colleagues who like to contact you early in the morning or later in the afternoon as it narrows their focus.
Always try to leave a day between producing pieces of written work and proof reading them (unless you are able to get someone to do a peer review). It is surprising what silly mistakes you can pick up after "time away" and also what improvements can be made, once your brain has had a little time to process what you have written.
Are you a morning or an afternoon person? I try to do any work that requires thinking and writing first thing in the morning and arrange meetings in the afternoon, because I work better like this. I realise, though, that this is not always possible.

Tackle the stuff you do not like first, that’s the best tip overall I can give you. Even if you are not consciously aware the shit task as I used to call it that awaits you will have bit of a drain going on in your head.

Never gossip, observe everything, learn to read documents upside down. I learned that my offices were relocating due to that skill even though management had denied it.

Know your own earn weaknesses and own your mistakes.

Take lunch and leave the offices for a walk, I walked for 25 minutes every lunch, if I stayed at my desk I was always either interrupted or even if not it’s just not a break.

Lists and post it notes. I answer emails straight away and will tell people they can expect a complete piece of work by a set date (I need the pressure of a deadline especially for things I think will be hard as I’m also an avoider for the trickier tasks!

Oh I’ve also started leaving my phone in another room as even just a quick glance is another distraction and breaks focus. I’ve also stopped doing any home related stuff during my working day like putting on a load of washing or life admin.

Look up withcoachgrace on Instagram - she’s good at talking about procrastination and addressing the emotions that keep you stuck in a work context.

Brain fog can be unprocessed emotions that you’re unaware of, so bringing more awareness and watching where your mind goes can be helpful to unpick your thought processes and find out what’s really keeping you stuck.

Also taking the pressure off can help - of course you need to get your job done, but I mean be kind to yourself about what’s going on for you as that can help with bringing understanding and awareness to your internal process. You can’t change what you don’t understand.

Honestly, I'd ask if you can go full time in the office as you sound like you thrive more on that sort of stimulus and accountability.

Failing that,

You could start your day with a coffee meeting with yourself. Make a realistic list of jobs to get done by the end of the day. Do not overschedule or you will feel like a failure. If anything, underschedule. Then if you've done them all by lunchtime, you can write a new list and feel smug. If you really struggle (I often do) don;t do a full day list. Just a list of three things. Do those. Then make a list of the next three things.

If you make a full list, triage it: what is essential, what has a deadline, what do you hate, what do you love? Start with what you hate, especially any small hated jobs. You have more willpower at the start of the day, and ticking off a hated task will release extra energy as you won't be dreading it hanging over you. Any tasks that require action from others - do them first so you are not hanging around waiting for responses - get them set up. Then get on with any solitary task or ones that are less urgent towards the end of the day as your energy and willpower wane.

Stop 15 mins before the end of the working day. Tidy your desk and set it up for next day - maybe open the file you should start work on, or check your desk diary for meetings so you don't forget etc.

Build in an imaginative and extensive reward system. After each job is completed, however small, reward yourself. If it's a tiny job, like sending an easy email, a simple pat on your own shoulder is enough. Or saying, 'Great! That's done!' out loud as you tick it off the to-do list. This reinforces positive action. Creates a dopamine hit that makes you want to do it again and get another hit. Don't just make tea and coffee as and when. Say to yourself: I'll get to the end of this task then have a coffee break. Other rewards might be a short walk, playing a you tube favourite song, a 5 minute nature watch (I love looking at the birds between tasks), a piece of chocolate, a 5 minute yoga or HIIT workout if that's your thing, taking 5 mins to order something you need online - nothing too distracting but balancing the working day with some small pleasures that you earn by completing things from the list.

Thank you, this is all really helpful.
I think I need to do the most difficult thing first each day. You're right, having hanging over me is sapping and destroying my energy. I will not let things fester or build up. I will stop non-work distractions.
This fresh start is my chance to not have 24 7 work anxiety. It's always lurking in my mind, even when I'm holiday and having a nice day with my children.

I do this too. I always say: I'll get this to you by X date to impose a deadline on myself. And then I book a Zoom meeting to goover the work with them, so I have to stick to it. Don't know why it works as I am a terrible procrastinator on most things but setting a deadline really helps.

If you have your shit together at work, how do you do it? Any tips on staying focused?

Make lists and focus on one task at a time.

Don't be a slave to email. As I've said before on other threads: scan over them and deal with the ones that jump out. You can set an outlook rule to flag or colour code stuff from your bosses and stakeholders so you prioritise.
Ignore the rest.
Most of it goes away or they call you.
You will miss stuff. The sky won't fall in.
Spend more energy on the stuff that matters most to your team or boss.