Daffy's 'a nice cup of tea cheers you up' diary

Cheery_Daff

Thanks guys

My organisational skills are being rather taxed this morning :rotfl: Desk seems to be overflowing with paper, so best tackle that first. Emails have been waded through. P*ssing down though, wish I'd brought my wellies! :rotfl:

Might have to do lots of 15 minute stints today to get on top of things and make sure the big important things don't get pushed out in a flurry of little admin tasks - isn't that always the way??

Cheery_Daff

Right then, I've got a plan.

Each hour between now and 4.45 (so 5 hours) I'm going to spend:

30 mins on a 'big project' bit of work (writing etc)
15 mins on admin/catch up tasks
10 mins on sorting out my desk/filing/printing etc
5 mins resting/making tea/popping in here

I've written out what tasks are going in where - just need to crack on! Back in a bit

lotti379

Sounds like the timer method is fully operational! :T

I am struggling today. A scary amount of work to get done in a not-very-long amount of time... I fear some late nights coming on. Added to two exams next week :eek: (lets not think about those yet)

What happened to yesterday's nice weather incidentally? It's all gone to poo here too!

redsquirrel80

Happy first day of fulltimeness! Sounds like a good plan for the day (I especially like the tea bit )

MrsMoo2U

Welcome to fulltime work world. I hope that you enjoy it. Loving your plan. I am back at work today too. First time back since 17th December and that was after 2 weeks sick leave!
Still wading through the 200+ emails in my inbox. Don't you just hate people who reply to all (40+ people) just to say OK?

Cheery_Daff

One little step at a time Lotti, concentrate on the little bit you're doing, don't let yourself get bogged down thinking about how much there is left! (not that I'm very good at that myself mind you, but it works when I can do it!)

Plan's going reasonably well (just got a cuppa ) and I'm already looking forward to the fact that I've got the whole week to spread things out over rather than just two days (although I realise there's more than twice the amount of work! But it means I can manage energy levels a bit better, to do the more mundane stuff when I'm feeling more tired etc, rather than having to squash it in because I'm not in for another week). We'll see how it works.

Yep cherisong, very daft when people reply to everyone just to say ok! In my induction pack I was given notes about how to use emails effectively which told you not to do things like that And things like writing very clear subject lines so emails can be found again later, and if something is very short, putting EOM (end of message) at the end of the line and nothing at all in the message body - eg 'leftover cake in the common room EOM' No need to open message, just dash up and get cake

Anyway, all sounds very simple, but I'd not really thought about it before, and I must say departmental communication here is FAR better than anywhere else I've ever worked!

Right, back to it then I suppose!

MrsMoo2U

Cheery - your post just made me smile. In my previous incarnation I spent part of my time as Internal and External Communications Manager. I took on board all of the complaints re unnecessary emails and as part of our email policy (yes I wrote one) we had those things that you mention. I have raised it time and again in my current place and nobody seems to listen to me at all.If only I was the communications manager here! Right off my hobby horse now.

redsquirrel80

Ooh I wish we had a good email policy too - a lot of people don't seem to be able to apply common sense to email! Was at a course at work recently where lots of people were saying they either felt the same, or didn't know how to use email properly, and there is no guidance. Drives me mad grrr!

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, sorry for inspiring email-sense jealousy :rotfl: :rotfl: Keep on at it cherisong - keep sending your sensible emails and someone will follow you eventually! :rotfl:

Well, I've had a couple of revelations here this evening :j :j I was thinking on the bus on the way home that I should email my casual job and tell them I'm not available for work at the moment (I actually thought I might resign altogether, but since my current job, while fabulous, is only for 2 years, and I don't have to say yes to anything the casual one offers me, it seems wise to keep it on just in case for later! And I do so enjoy it ). Anyway, I got in to a letter from the same employer (different dept) saying

"Dear Miss Daffs,

I am writing to offer you a job" :rotfl: :rotfl:

Another casual one, with the same terms - I'll be in a pool of people that they'll call on as and when, and I can say no to everything if I like.

I'm going to say yes to going in the pool I think

I've thought and thought about this - partly it feels like I 'should' say no because I've supposedly moved 'on' t better paid things now, but in reality, I love this work (both the existing one and the new stuff I'm being offered) and while I won't be able to do much (if anything) now, I'd love to keep it on as a potential bit of patchwork income for the future. It also gets me library access at a different university And a staff card - useful for free computer access when in town if nowt else :rotfl: :rotfl:

So - a success I think! :j :j :j

(first day went well too - just been laughing over the fact that it's my first day working full time for several years and I come home to an entirely unsolicited and unexpected job offer :rotfl: :rotfl:)

Cheery_Daff

(oh, and the other revelation had to do with going to the dentist, but that's not half so interesting as being offered a new job on the same day as you start one, so maybe I'll write about that another time :rotfl:)