Let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane, shall we?
The year was 2020. The month? January.
In other words: a lifetime ago.
And way back in January of this year, we committed to helping you become a better version of you this year. Better at managing your time, better at communicating, better at being productive, better at delegating.
And while life – ahem, current events – may have turned our ‘normal’ routines upside down and left us scrambling to find our ‘new normal,’ we never forgot that commitment we made to help you.
With that, we wanted to take some time to conduct a welfare check because we know life has a funny way of standing squarely between us and our best intentions.
And that dastardly busyness got in the way, too.
‘Life is too busy.’
‘Life feels a little out of control right now.’
‘I’m so busy at work.’
‘I’m too busy.’
‘I have a busy schedule.’
‘We’re so overwhelmingly busy.’
Busy has somehow become an aspirational badge of honor. But together, we can reject that Cult of Preoccupation and find balance, peace and happiness – even in times when ‘busy’ feels out of our control.
Ready? Let’s refresh.
Monotask
Seriously. While we’ve been indoctrinated with the belief that multitasking is the only ‘-tasking,’ we do better when we focus on one thing at a time – even if that means closing the door and telling family members that you need to focus on just work.
Prioritize & Plan
At the start of every day, make a list of those items that need your immediate attention. Anything that can wait, should.
Delegate
Adopt the ‘70 percent rule.’ If the person you’d like to perform the task can do it at least 70 percent as well as you can, delegate.
And this isn’t relegated to work, either.
Determine what you can delegate around the house, too. Spouses, kids, delivery services, and more are all ways of delegating so that you can have more time to focus and be intentional about where you spend your time.
Say No
We promise it’s OK. Decline tasks and invitations if you’re overloaded. And before you say yes, review your list of priorities first.
Your Mask, First
Pour into yourself a little each day so you can be the best version of yourself for yourself and others by investing in your physical and mental health.
It can be as simple as starting your day with a walk, making sure you’re eating healthy meals or saving the last few minutes before bed for reading or journaling.
Take Brain Breaks
You know when your brain is clearly buffering. You can actually complete tasks better and faster by taking a break and allowing your brain to switch gears for a bit.
Walk the dog or go for a bike or walk with your kids if they’re home with you.
Allow Space
Be intentional about leaving room in your calendar for opportunities to tackle smaller, lower-priority tasks that nag you or obligations that arise unannounced. Because life – and all its unexpected glory – happens.
Give Grace
Accept that you will make mistakes – and accept that it’s really OK. Tomorrow is a clean slate ripe with opportunities and possibilities. And it’s all yours.
Carpe Diem ... But With Intention
Listen. We’re not trying to preach from on high because we’ve completely and permanently tamed our own Busyness Beasts. This is something we all strive to become better at each day.
Avoiding the shiny allure of Busy is a living, breathing aspiration. A journey, not a destination. It takes intentionality, forethought, and execution – and not just once, but every day so long as we’re adults which, last we checked, is forever.
So one of the ways to be less busy is to set yourself up for working well – especially if you’ve found yourself unexpectedly working from home now.
And luckily for you, we’ve got the perfect webinar for you.
This webinar comprehensively answers some of the most urgent questions regarding remote work and leadership, including:
- Setting expectations and guidelines
- Leveraging the best and most effective tools
- Communication
- Maintaining culture
- Preparing a business continuity plan
Our hope is that this webinar helps you understand how to best navigate these uncertain times as the health and safety of our employees, clients, and contractors are at the forefront of every decision we make.
Register for it – for free – here.
The bottom line: We’re all in this together, and we’ll get out of it together, too.