Are there things you’d like to accomplish in life, but you don’t know where you’ll find the time?
Many people are busy all the time, without actually being productive at all. It’s maddening and draining to spend valuable time and energy running in circles. We’re busy scooping water out of a sinking boat that has holes in the bottom.
Perpetual busy-ness leaves us feeling scattered. When we’re feeling this way, we can’t decide and act with clarity when opportunities arise – often because we’re running so fast we blew right by the opening.
When we don’t clear time and space in our minds, our homes, and our calendars, leaving room for relaxation, reflection, introspection, and the unexpected, we’re blind to new opportunities, or we block them from entering our lives entirely. When we do this, we’re rejecting our ticket up to life’s next level.
Clearing time and space means saying “no” to things, when sometimes we’ve been saying “yes” for awhile. The thought of re-arranging to clear space for the unseen can be daunting, to say the least.
The good news is, you don’t need to take this on alone.
If you’d like to be more productive and less busy, so you can comfortably rise to your life’s next level, here are three steps to get started:
- Check your beliefs about success. What do you believe it’ll take to up-level? Are you afraid achieving more will require you to work longer and harder? This isn’t always true. As humans, we avoid pain, and we prefer the familiar. Thinking we’ll need to run ourselves ragged to get things accomplished can prevent us from ever starting in the first place. It IS possible to do-do-do less while achieving more. Believing it’s possible is an important first step.
- Do what you want, not what you “should”. Start paying attention to the parts of your day that make you feel good, and the parts that don’t feel so good. Ask your body what it wants and needs from you, even if this feels a little silly at first, so it can become your best friend instead of your biggest stumbling block. Take time to dream about the things that inspire you, and the places you want to go. Imagine the things you want to achieve. Say “yes” to the things that feel good, that take you in your desirable direction, and let the rest go to make space for something new.
- Get good support. Outsource. Find experts who love doing what you’re weakest at. When it makes sense, release control and let other people take responsibility. Would it take someone else 5 minutes to do something that takes you 5 hours? Are there agencies available to help you with things like family care or running errands? Hire a personal assistant, a personal trainer, a coach, or some type of unbiased, inspirational support to keep you accountable and help you see things clearly. Think about what support you’ll need from your loved ones to make changes in your schedule, and ask them for what you need. Ask for help, and be willing to receive it.
Above all else, know that focusing your energy towards your goals makes you smart and successful, not lazy or irresponsible, and accepting help is a strength not a weakness.
Taking these steps to be more productive and less busy will help you plug the holes in your boat, for smooth sailing all the way to the top.
Don’t forget to enjoy the view.
