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"  In this economic climate, it&amp;#039;s imperative that your boss know she can count on you, even if you have more work on your plate than ever before. &amp;quot;Proving that you&amp;#039;re indispensable is the best job insurance out there,&amp;quot; says Debra Shigley, coauthor of  The Go-Getter Girl&amp;#039;s Guide. &amp;quot;A few tweaks in your attitude can help you be perceived as effective instead of exhausted.&amp;quot; These five work habits will boost your productivity:  1. Time it right. Are you an early bird, or do you do your best work after lunch? &amp;quot;Paying attention to when you&amp;#039;re most productive can help you manage your schedule better,&amp;quot; Shigley explains. Use that period of the day to focus on complicated tasks; during the times you feel less alert, file, catch up on e-mail, or do other tasks that require less brainpower. 2. Minimize interruptions. Do you find yourself drifting over to the watercooler whenever you see colleagues gathering? &amp;quot;Everyone has interruptions that can chip away at productivity,&amp;quot; Shigley says. Brainstorm ways to minimize them, such as confabbing with colleagues only at lunch. You&amp;#039;ll stay on task and get projects done.  3. Take the time to organize. A few seconds used to file away an e-mail in a folder could mean saving an hour of frantic searching in the future, reminds Shigley. Whether it&amp;#039;s color-coded folders or a simple to-do list, an organizational system can showcase how together you are and help eliminate stress.  4. Think ahead. &amp;quot;Always keep an eye on major looming projects,&amp;quot; Shigley says. Even if they&amp;#039;re months off, spend any downtime doing prep work to avoid a future crush \u2014 and impress your higher-ups with your initiative.  5. Find an ally. You may be putting your nose to the grindstone, but it&amp;#039;s all for nothing if no one notices. &amp;quot;An office ally doesn&amp;#039;t need to be your boss \u2014 it could be another coworker who reports to your boss,&amp;quot; Shigley says. Having someone in your corner who can talk up your achievements to your boss is a smart move that will raise your profile. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/life/money-career/advice/a5203/get-more-done/>