How many people do you know who are so busy being busy that they never seem to get anything worthwhile done? Does that describe you, maybe even just a little bit?
Being busy all the time, through necessity, is a curse. Being busy all the time, for the sake of it, is madness.
Continual busy-ness eventually leads to stress, particularly if results are minimal. You see, it will get to a point where something has to give way. It's like filling a balloon with air. Eventually no more air will fit inside the balloon and it will do the only thing it can. It will burst.
It's OK to have busy periods through each day, each week, each month and each year. However, you also need time to relax. Time to re-charge the batteries.
People who are continuously busy over long periods suffer from two main problems:
Let's look at each in turn.
First, those who cannot say "no." I have a saying: "You can't save the entire world." No matter how good your intentions are, you cannot be everything to everyone.
Make a list of those who need and deserve your time. They are the one's you should give priority to. Anyone else comes next - if you have the time to spare.
A wise man once said, "work always expands to fit available time." It's true. But it is only true if you allow it to happen.
You can always do the odd favor for someone on the odd occasion. Learn to say no in a nice way. Here is one such way: "If I get all my own work done, I will consider your request." What does that really say? It says your work is important. If you get it done you will help. Naturally, if you cannot get it done you cannot help. It's a soft way of saying no. Usually the asker will then go and find another person to ask.
By saying no you actually help other people to grow. Imagine if you always said yes to tying up your daughter's shoe laces. If you never said no she would still be asking you to do it at twenty years of age. By saying no you make her learn to do it for herself. Remember the old saying about giving a hungry person a fish to eat versus teaching the hungry person how to catch their own fish to eat?
By saying no we can free up more time for ourselves and those who need or deserve our time the most. Do not become a slave.
Turning to the second problem, delegation - learn to enlist others to perform tasks that they are better equipped, or have more time, to do.
If you run all over the place attempting to do everything yourself you will never have sufficient time to do anything properly. Delegation is the art of a true leader. The secret to successful delegation is to build the importance of the task into the mind of the person you are delegating it to. Then, when they do it, thank them and praise them sincerely for the things they did well.
Don't ever think you are irreplaceable, particularly at your employment. Somebody gave me a definition once of irreplaceability in the workforce. It went something like this: "Get a bucket of water, roll up your sleeve and thrust your arm into the water. Now pull your arm out. The time it takes for the water to settle back into position will be about the same time it will take to replace you!"
Learning to say no and being able to delegate will allow you to perform the tasks you really want to do and really need to do yourself at a much higher level of proficiency.
AL Williams wrote a book called "All You Can Do is All You Can Do But All You Can Do is Enough!" (ISBN: 0-8041-0499-9). Catchy title, isn't it?
In his book, Williams says: "Don't worry about things you can't change. Focus on making your part of the world better, because when they click your lights out for the last time, you can't have any regrets."
Like I said earlier - you can't save the whole world. Don't even try.
If you want to be more productive, try to re-organize the way you plan your time. You can do this by:
At the end of the day review your list. This is important because it will allow you to see how much you have done and achieved. Achievement will drive you forward to more achievement.
So, now you don't have to be busy, busy, busy and get little done. You can just be busy achieving what you want.
[If you like this article and would like to use it on your own website or ezine you may do so ONLY if the article is not changed in any way and the final paragraph: "About the author", with all links intact, is included.]
About the author: Gary Simpson is the author of eight books covering a diverse range of subjects such as self esteem, affirmations, self defense, finance and much more. His articles appear all over the web. Gary's email address is budo@iinet.net.au. Click here to go to his budo@iinet.net.au website where you can receive his "Zenspirational Thoughts" plus an immediate FREE copy of his highly acclaimed, life-changing e-book "The Power of Choice."
efficient cleaning crew Highland Park ..How can you get an extra hour out of each... Read More
Many of the world's most driven and successful people sleep... Read More
When you decide to become self-employed, you automatically become the... Read More
Are you drowning in a sea of unread papers? Do... Read More
According to a Miller Heiman 2003 Sales Effectiveness Study, over... Read More
Sometime ago, my lovely wife woke me up in the... Read More
Letters, magazines, bills, flyers, what to do with them all.... Read More
Not 1 in 10 people can tell you where money... Read More
"At my back I always hear time's winged chariot hurrying... Read More
Recently I've experienced a barrage of time wasters. Everything you... Read More
How do you know what's the best use of your... Read More
Many people want to be coached to manage their time... Read More
Most of us know how to manage our time. It... Read More
If you can regularly ask yourself "Am I regularly and... Read More
Time, time, time. It seems there is never enough of... Read More
Almost everyone in business knows the balancing act between the... Read More
Time management consultant Stephen Young claims that the average time... Read More
If you are like most moms I know you think... Read More
Vilfredo Pareto's Principle, or The "Pareto Principle," is more commonly... Read More
There are times, when I am driving in my car... Read More
This may not sound like a big deal. But it's... Read More
What would you say to me if I told you... Read More
Does it ever feel like there is never enough time... Read More
Yesterday, I'd just gotten comfortable at my favorite table in... Read More
* If you were paying you to prioritise emails over... Read More
scheduled maid service Park Ridge ..Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number... Read More
Where does your time go? We all know we are... Read More
Procrastination, the habit of putting tasks off to the last... Read More
There are two types of time killers in everyone's life.... Read More
How can you get an extra hour out of each... Read More
"I find it interesting that the very cape I tried... Read More
If you are like most moms I know you think... Read More
If you feel like your life moves faster than a... Read More
Time is inelastic. Despite what some of us persist in... Read More
We don't realize many things we do until we draw... Read More
Many of us get so caught up in day-to-day pressures... Read More
"If you control your time, you control your life" -... Read More
The Internet is increasingly becoming a major time killer for... Read More
It's amazing how many sayings there are in our culture... Read More
When you decide to become self-employed, you automatically become the... Read More
Q. I have several projects going at once -- but... Read More
Any habit of mind or body that interferes with taking... Read More
We all face decisions that involve doing things that affect... Read More
"Time management" is a myth. Time ticks by, whether you... Read More
Let's look at your time management skills. Most of us... Read More
I would like to touch upon a subject that it... Read More
Whatever providence has in store for us tomorrow is not... Read More
Our daily lives are inundated with a crammed to-do list.... Read More
It's 6:00 a.m. I'm awake. I'm pumped! I'm ready to... Read More
A new client recently admitted to me sheepishly that she... Read More
Time Management |