Thriving in a demanding job

Continuing from where we left off, here are a few more tips that really help me deal with 60+ hour working weeks.

3. Make a good first impression

I believe that the more your manager trusts you to do your job independently, the better your working experience will be. However, that trust is definitely something you need to earn, rather than assume from the outset.

A huge tip that has helped me greatly is to really over-invest in the first few weeks of any new working relationship. I work in a job where we change teams every few months, and so this is highly relevant. A good first impression with a manager will mean your time becomes yours to control.

4. Plan your weekends in advance

I don't know about you, but I've found myself frequently at the end of a busy week having spent no time thinking how I'll unwind on the weekend. And then the weekend is inevitably a scramble to put plans together – even if it's as simple as a date night or movie.

It might seem overkill, but I've found it extremely helpful to spend a bit of time on the weekends planning the next one (and the ones after if you can manage it).

A handy shortcut is to plan recurring activities, e.g. a squash match every x weeks, a movie every x weeks, and so on...

5. Bring out your inner "J" (in MBTI terms)

If you're not familiar with MBTI, it's a psychological classification framework where being a "J" basically means wanting structure in your life (as opposed to being a "P" which is to live your life as it comes).

A "J" will plan and schedule activities, make lots of checklists (even if it's for the joy of checking off items that you have literally just written...), and so on.

I'm a "P" in the MBTI framework, which means imposing any kind of structure in life is ALWAYS a very intentional activity. So, armed with that knowledge, I always invest a minute or two here and there to ask myself if I could be more efficient in my work by adding more structure, e.g. keeping an exhaustive checklist of my to-dos.

At the end of the day, MBTI is just a tool for becoming more self-aware (and a common language which might help you communicate with others who are familiar with it) – I'd recommend taking a free MBTI test online, and using the results to help you adjust your day-to-day if you feel the need.