If I had a dollar or even better a pound for every time I'd heard a business leader say this I'd be very rich.
I'm too busy is used in so many contexts
* I'm too busy ? I don't want to
* I'm too busy ? I'm overwhelmed
* I'm too busy ? Go Away
* I'm too busy ? I'm confused
* I'm too busy ? And you're not!
If we break that sentence down and look at each part, we can then look at ways of helping you be less busy.
I'M too busy ? with the emphasis on the I, the inference is that the centre of the busyness is you. The implication is that you need to be because you are the only person that can do all of the work that is causing you to feel busy.
I'm TOO busy ? with the emphasis on the TOO, the inference is that your busyness level is more than you can cope with. It implies that you have to cope with more work than is comfortable for you.
I'm too BUSY ? with the emphasis on the BUSY, the inference is that you have lots to do but that it might not be useful or productive work or work that you feel you should be doing.
So let's assume that's the case and the work you currently have that is causing you to be too busy, is largely made up of work you feel you shouldn't be doing, i.e. it is work that is not specifically contributing to your goals and targets.
So what's the answer?
Here is a process for you to try to Get Creative, Get Focused and Get Control
1. List all of the tasks, activities or pieces of work you currently have "to do"
2. Give each task a priority 1-5 (1 being high 5 being low) based on their relevance to your specific goals or targets
3. Give each ask a MUST, SHOULD COULD rating
a. Must ? you are accountable and responsible for its completion
b. Should ? You are accountable but not necessarily responsible i.e. you must make it happen but someone else could do it
c. Could ? You are neither accountable or responsible
4. For each must
a. set a deadline for completion and schedule it in you diary/PDA now
5. For each should
a. make a list of who else could do it and why it might be more appropriate for them to do it
b. prioritise this list
6. For each could
a. decide to do it and schedule it
b. delegate it and schedule time to hand the work over
c. discard it completely
"The key is not to prioritise what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities" Stephen R. Covey
Just because you assume you're too busy doesn't mean that you are.
You have a choice not to do something and you can choose to make different decisions about what work you do and what work you don't. If you work for someone else help them to help you by having regular discussions about you workload and what work is a Must, Should and Could for you ? don't just accept everything that comes your way.
Take control and get creative about how you think about and how you manage your workload. Your level of busyness is down to you.
?2005 Beverley Hamilton
About The Author
Beverley Hamilton is the author of take control of your time: 7 Straight Shooter Strategies for Success. To learn more, subscribe to Quickstart her free ezine and get more tips, tools and articles visit at take control of your time
NOTE: You're welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered including the "about the author" information at the end.
move out cleaning service Highland Park ..."Because there will always be something more to do, we... Read More
Does it seem like there is never enough time in... Read More
You can use the Power of 90 Seconds to transform... Read More
As each day passes, and more and more things need... Read More
There is no such thing as time management. You cannot... Read More
Letters, magazines, bills, flyers, what to do with them all.... Read More
In our time-crazed society, lots of time is what most... Read More
Time is wealth;Time is health; Time is power; Time is... Read More
It's always a challenge finding time to clean my house.... Read More
Here's a smart system for doubling or tripling your daily... Read More
My husband and I recently returned from a trip to... Read More
One of the most challenging aspect in life is time... Read More
Whether you're a new business owner or if you have... Read More
Increased productivity, the ability to get more value for our... Read More
How can you get an extra hour out of each... Read More
Reflect on the rewards of kicking the procrastination habit. They... Read More
"It's just been one of those days?I can't seem to... Read More
Years ago clients would tell me they could not identify... Read More
And when you finally sat down to eat breakfast, was... Read More
Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life... Read More
Time is money in your online business, just as in... Read More
Whatever providence has in store for us tomorrow is not... Read More
Today, it is hard to open an e-mail newsletter, a... Read More
I keep a fossil on my desk at all times.... Read More
Ever feel that you spend too much time shoring up... Read More
whole house cleaning Morton Grove ...Everyday life can present us with opportunities to make us... Read More
Many of you have expressed the challenge of not having... Read More
Sometime ago, my lovely wife woke me up in the... Read More
If you operate any kind of home business, you must... Read More
Not 1 in 10 people can tell you where money... Read More
I have a habit of sending a thank you letter... Read More
Such an innocuous little phrase, yet when you are hard... Read More
"I find it interesting that the very cape I tried... Read More
Having a home based business can be overwhelming. When you... Read More
In this digital age, the importance of being able to... Read More
A working manager needs more than time management.That old saying,... Read More
Why Read?It's been said that there are three kinds of... Read More
What would you say to me if I told you... Read More
We are all born equal! We all have the same... Read More
I am an ordinary man - A middle class high... Read More
It's amazing how many sayings there are in our culture... Read More
You can lose, damage or waste some things in life,... Read More
It's easy to waste time on things that seem urgent... Read More
According to a Miller Heiman 2003 Sales Effectiveness Study, over... Read More
As the song goes, this is the time to relax,... Read More
Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life... Read More
Most people want to start a home-based business to make... Read More
Whether you're a new business owner or if you have... Read More
"How do you DO it?!" If I had a dime... Read More
"Can you find four extra hours in your day?" a... Read More
Time Management |