Three different people this week have told me some version of I’m so busy I can’t get even get organized enough to see if I have time to do something. Now that’s pretty busy! I know. I’ve been there and still visit pretty often. But here’s the thing. I create my schedule and you create yours. So if you’re too busy, then you need to have a meeting with yourself and determine why that is.
Busyness is not all the same and it can be caused or allowed to happen for different reasons. Getting to the place of ‘Too Busy’ is one of those things that happens without much effort. Reversing it takes some time and intention. Here are some of the reasons I have observed along with some reframing ideas:
- Can’t say no. Or don’t want to. In the book, The One Thing, Gary Keller says it this way, “Saying yes to everyone is the same as saying yes to nothing.” If you want to stay busy and booked solid and have nothing to show for it, just say yes to everyone and everything that comes along. What are you getting out of this? Do you want to feel needed or significant? Isn’t it better to actually fill a real need and be significant?
- Lack of focus. If you do not focus, things simply will not get done and what you end up with is chaos and overwhelm. At the end of the day, week or year you will look back and wonder where the time went with not much to show for it. Remember, focus requires you to weed out which things you’re not going to do. If you focus you might actually reach your goal. Do you fear success? Maybe you’re afraid that once you get there it won’t be what you thought and you’ll still be unsatisfied? Even if that happens, isn’t it better to find out and change course? At least you know you tried rather than always wondering what could have been?
- Being driven. You are a person of action. Everyone knows that you get things done! Being results-oriented is a valuable skill but it is a superpower that can work against you if not used properly. When people figure out you are a do-er they will bring you all the work you can handle or are willing to take on. You have to create filters to determine which projects you should work on. Just because you can, does not mean you should. How do you know? First, you have to determine your motivation, your “WHY.” Please see, Secret Ingredient To Reach Your Goals to learn more about that.
Take Action: Busyness is productivity’s enemy. Becoming un-busy is not a simple formula. Review the list above. Add your own reasons if needed. Then take an honest look at why you are too busy and address the reason behind it.
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Nicole Webb Coaching 