Do you ever feel like you're just trying to survive the day before it's even 10am? I know for me - this is a very real feeling! And it happens because, as a society, we are constantly in reaction mode. We get to our desk after dragging out of bed and slugging down a quick cup of coffee, and dive straight into full a mailbox and back-to-back meetings.
Mornings are meant to be sacred. They set us up for success for the day, but if we let them pass in a blur of email responses and rushing around - we set ourselves up for failure. One of the women in my recent mastermind group decided that she was going to block the first 30 minutes of her work day as personal time - to slow down, get quiet and allow room for creativity and strategy (instead of chaos and rushing). She made sure this time was Non-Negotiable and no one, I mean no one (even the CEO) could schedule over it. The results? It WORKED. She said she feels more productive than ever - and the reality is, this productivity really just came from slowing down.
If you’re not a morning person, that’s ok too. Some people prefer to take 30 minutes in the evening to plan the next day, and that can also have a huge impact.
The key is: slowing down and giving ourselves the time we deserve to be intentional.
The other thing I like to do with my clients is play the calendar game. I have them show me their calendars so I can look at their commitments on their time as well as their To Do List. Is what they have on their schedule moving them toward their goals and desires? Or is the calendar and to do list just keeping them “busy”? (Let's face it - we are ADDICTED to busyness!)
We erroneously think that:
Being busy means, we are productive
Busy = I am …
... worthy
... valuable
... important
But Busyness is an illusion. We need to focus on what is essential and important to us.
One of the quotes that I love from Tim Ferriss who wrote the four-hour workweek he said:
Business is laziness.
It's time for us to start to say NO to other requests of our time that are not moving us towards our true desires and goals.
So, I ask you this: Pause right now and take a look at your To Do List.
Are you being honest with yourself about moving towards what you want, or is there just a bunch of stuff on there that are keeping you "busy" and chained to your desk and computer all day?
Ask yourself:
“What am I doing that I don’t really have to do or do myself?”
Time is our most precious asset. And it's something you can't get back so stop spending it on things that don't matter!
If this is a challenge your facing, let’s talk- schedule time HERE! I look forward to chatting with you :)