Elfin Recite

OLD RULE - Be perfect
NEW RULE - Be perfect only when it matters
Perfectionists who obsess over little details can sometimes miss the things that count the most. For example, 37 percent of workers blamed such exacting tendencies for missed deadlines, accord¬ing to one study presented in 2003. So be smarter. Seldman recommends identifying tasks you can do without fine-tuning, and spending most of your time on everything else. When you realize your less-than-perfect work is just fine, your agony wilt abate.

OLD RULE - Juggle like a circus clown, baby!
NEW RULE - Multitasking stalls your system
Even though brain activity rises when you locus on multiple tasks, your perfor¬mance suffers, according to researchers at Carnegie Mellon. “Avoiding distrac¬tions isn’t always possible, so you need to learn how to rapidly refocus.” says David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done and Making It Alt Work. Develop a system to jog your memory, such as jotting down new tasks (”Call Fred”), putting them aside, and staying focused on your current work.

OLD RULE - Hustle hard
NEW RULE - Under promise, over deliver

‘You have only one time when you can manage expectations, and that’s in the beginning.” says Marty Seldman, Ph.D., coauthor of Executive Stamina. So set yourself up for success. If you can do a job in 3 days, say you’ll do it in 5—and then take time to add special finishing touches before turning it in “early.” It’s an easy way to impress: University of Florida researchers found that people are much happier about unexpected positive results than they are about predictable ones. Save your blood, sweat, and tears. Corporate go-getters often flame out before going anywhere, but experts say sensible slackers can waltz to the top. Here’s how to ditch the worker-bee rules and adopt a stress-free, healthy, and productive lifestyle.