Exempt Individual Contributor: Career

Sometimes a task or project seems pointless. But you were given this assignment for a reason. What’s sometimes missing is the why. What does the task contribute to? What difference does it make to the organization? If you don’t know, chances are you’ll be lacking the motivation to get it done. Find out what is going on in the organization. Understand where your function fits in. Familiarize yourself with the organizational goals. Learn how important the work of your team is to achieving these.

Perfectionism is tough to let go of, especially if you pride yourself on it. Recognize what might be at the root of your perfectionism. Recognize that you don’t have to be right all the time. Each week, let go of some of your need to be perfect—even just a little. First, practice tolerating less-than-perfect away from work. Resist ironing every wrinkle out of your shirt and live with the picture frame that’s slightly askew. Make similar allowances in the work environment. Let things go. Sometimes good enough is good enough. You just need to be able to figure out when that is. The time you put towards striving for perfection can be put toward actually getting things done.

Do you put things off to the last minute? Pushing things to the last minute can be risky. Procrastination can reduce your ability to flex when unforeseen events come your way. Start early. Always complete 10 percent of each task as soon as it is assigned. Take some preemptive action to get you moving. If you need to feel the heat of a deadline, break the task up into smaller stages, each with their own tight deadline. If the overall task seems overwhelming, focus instead on each step that will get you there.