Clarify your priorities!
Have you noticed that when you ask a colleague how she or he is doing, 99% of the time the answer you get is “Super Busy”. It seems that any other answer means that they are slackers or, even worse, unimportant.
It concerns me that the message that we are leaving to the next generations is that they have to occupy every minute of their time; that they have to be super busy to be successful. No wonder sleep deprivation is becoming fairly common. According to a 2016 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep. And Gallup reports a 13% decrease on sleep time from 1942 to 2013 in the US.
Sleep deprivation is similar to alcohol intoxication.
What we are facing is a deadly combination: tired, sleep-deprived people, with not much time to think. The result is that most people will start working on the first thing in front of them, and multitask as much as possible to try to get to at least half of their to-do list.
Do you end your day exhausted and not really knowing what you accomplished?
Does your to-do list get bigger every day? Do you feel overwhelmed by conflicting priorities at work and at home? The solution is not multitasking or working harder. It is clearly defining what you want to accomplish, understanding your strengths, and managing your energy.
“If you don’t have TIME, you don’t have PRIORITIES.” – Tim Ferriss
When we are super busy we may feel that we are doing a lot, but in fact we are being very inefficient. The question that we have to ask ourselves is this task getting me closer to meeting my goals?
Ask yourself this question: is this task getting me closer to meeting my goals?
If the answer to this question is no, then the task is not a priority. Of course, you need to establish your priorities, both professional and personal. Think about what success looks like for you. What are the goals that you are going to be measured by? Which goal will define your performance rating at the end of the year? Which activity is a MUST if you are to declare success? That goal is Number 1.
I invite you to reserve one hour of your time to define your priorities. Once you have them, organize your week according to those priorities. Start your day making progress on the top priority activities, instead of starting with your email. You see, when you start your day answering your email, you are dedicating your time to the priorities of others, instead of to your priorities. Think about it.
When you start your day answering your email, you are putting the priorities of others over your own priorities
As I recommend in this article, become single minded to be more effective:
I challenge you to spend your time according to your professional and personal priorities, and abandon the super busy club. You will be more effective and efficient. Give it a try!
I invite you to work with me. I will work with you to develop simple habits that will allow you to set your own priorities and achieve your goals.
With my 33 years of experience as a leader in global corporations and coaching knowledge, l can help you discover your strengths, develop an influential leadership style and define and achieve ambitious goals with your team.
The support that I offer can be as simple as a one-time video call to discuss a specific situation, or a more prolonged relationship where I am your trusted counselor.
