Did you check your emails during breakfast this morning? Were you on the phone when you got home yesterday? Did you rush to bring your kids to bed last night? Did you go straight to the gym from the office, because you did not have time to eat?
Does all this being busy, get you where you want to be in life…?
If you are running from one thing to another, you are being led by whatever comes your way. As a result, you will not have time left to think about what is important for you or where you want to go. If you do not allow yourself time to contemplate and bring focus, you will not be able to bring your A game at the moment you need it.
Focus like a laser, not a flashlight – Michael Jordan
Our society has unfortunately created and fostered the mental model that ‘being busy is cool’. Also, if you are very busy, you must be very important.
Sometimes we might forget that we have a choice to be busy or not to be busy. The reason of you being busy is because you choose to be busy. When people tell you they are busy, they are actually saying “what you are asking from me, is not a priority for me”. They are making the choice of not freeing up time. Of course, that does not sound friendly, nor politically correct, so the globally accepted term in society is “I am busy”.
The most successful and productive people that you and I know have the same amount of time per day. They MUST be busy as well. Yet, they will find a way to make time for themselves, for their family or even to read… (Bill Gates reads one book per week…!). They are saying “I will free up some time to do exactly that, because that is what adds the most value for me”. They recognize that they are in control and are aware that they have a choice to be busy or not.
Just like them, you have a choice to be busy. In order to become in control of your ‘busyness’ reflect where you want to go in life. Take time to think about what you want to start doing. Spend even more time considering about what you will stop doing (FYI: the latter one will take the most time :) ).
The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything. – Warren Buffet
Some months ago, I reflected on the methods which help me to be busy or not to be busy. The methods I started applying from then onwards:
1. Develop a morning routine: do the most important things first.
I used to wake up, directly pick up my phone and check my email. When I arrived at the office, I started replying to those emails. I stopped doing that, because it does not add value for me (nor for my company). I learned that all my energy and attention was directed towards other things, which was not what I wanted to accomplish that day.
Nowadays, when I wake up, I leave my phone and do some stretching exercises before I hit the shower. When I arrive at the office, I do not spend the first hour on checking your email. Firstly, I work on the things that I want to complete that day. You will need of all your energy and attention, so work on your biggest challenge first!
2. Block time to think!
I always end my week by reflecting and thinking ahead. I reflect on what I have achieved in the past week. I reflect on what have I not achieved and how come? What can I learn from that? I noticed that when I took time to reflect on my achievements, I became more aware of all the achievements over the past week.
In turn, this reinforces thinking ahead. When thinking ahead I ask myself: what do I need to complete next week? What do I want to complete next week? Are my goals SMART? What can be potential barriers that I need to encounter to achieve these goals?
3. Stop shallow diving and start deep diving…
I used to read the news every morning, to make sure I was up-to-date about what was going on. I was afraid ‘I might miss out’ in our information-oriented society… I stopped doing this since August last year and what happened… Absolutely nothing! I know that there is a diplomatic incident between Netherlands and Turkey – just to name one news item – and still do the small talk. Hence, I stopped shallow diving.
Because I stopped reading the news, I have more time left which I use to start reading more in-depth. Mainly books or in-depth articles from magazines or journals on areas of my interest.
4. Be present in the moment!
One of the main sources of interruption nowadays is the mobile phone. I took it wherever I went.. Even when I went to the restroom (as I understand from people around me, this is apparently more a guy thing :) ).
I am unlearning this. However, I am not there yet. I still notice that unconsciously I have the tendency to take it, I still need to adjust on making a conscious decision on whether I actually need my phone.
People who are talking to you while typing on the phone are not present in the moment. These people are making a deliberate decision by not choosing to give you their undivided attention… We can choose whether we want to be present in the moment. Or not…? That is the question…
What drives you to be or not to be busy…? What methods help you to control your ‘busyness’…?
Did you check your emails during breakfast this morning? Were you on the phone when you got home yesterday? Did you rush to bring your kids to bed last night? Did you go straight to the gym from the office, because you did not have time to eat?
Does all this being busy, get you where you want to be in life…?
If you are running from one thing to another, you are being led by whatever comes your way. As a result, you will not have time left to think about what is important for you or where you want to go. If you do not allow yourself time to contemplate and bring focus, you will not be able to bring your A game at the moment you need it.
Focus like a laser, not a flashlight – Michael Jordan
Our society has unfortunately created and fostered the mental model that ‘being busy is cool’. Also, if you are very busy, you must be very important.
Sometimes we might forget that we have a choice to be busy or not to be busy. The reason of you being busy is because you choose to be busy. When people tell you they are busy, they are actually saying “what you are asking from me, is not a priority for me”. They are making the choice of not freeing up time. Of course, that does not sound friendly, nor politically correct, so the globally accepted term in society is “I am busy”.
The most successful and productive people that you and I know have the same amount of time per day. They MUST be busy as well. Yet, they will find a way to make time for themselves, for their family or even to read… (Bill Gates reads one book per week…!). They are saying “I will free up some time to do exactly that, because that is what adds the most value for me”. They recognize that they are in control and are aware that they have a choice to be busy or not.
Just like them, you have a choice to be busy. In order to become in control of your ‘busyness’ reflect where you want to go in life. Take time to think about what you want to start doing. Spend even more time considering about what you will stop doing (FYI: the latter one will take the most time :) ).
The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything. – Warren Buffet
Some months ago, I reflected on the methods which help me to be busy or not to be busy. The methods I started applying from then onwards:
1. Develop a morning routine: do the most important things first.
I used to wake up, directly pick up my phone and check my email. When I arrived at the office, I started replying to those emails. I stopped doing that, because it does not add value for me (nor for my company). I learned that all my energy and attention was directed towards other things, which was not what I wanted to accomplish that day.
Nowadays, when I wake up, I leave my phone and do some stretching exercises before I hit the shower. When I arrive at the office, I do not spend the first hour on checking your email. Firstly, I work on the things that I want to complete that day. You will need of all your energy and attention, so work on your biggest challenge first!
2. Block time to think!
I always end my week by reflecting and thinking ahead. I reflect on what I have achieved in the past week. I reflect on what have I not achieved and how come? What can I learn from that? I noticed that when I took time to reflect on my achievements, I became more aware of all the achievements over the past week.
In turn, this reinforces thinking ahead. When thinking ahead I ask myself: what do I need to complete next week? What do I want to complete next week? Are my goals SMART? What can be potential barriers that I need to encounter to achieve these goals?
3. Stop shallow diving and start deep diving…
I used to read the news every morning, to make sure I was up-to-date about what was going on. I was afraid ‘I might miss out’ in our information-oriented society… I stopped doing this since August last year and what happened… Absolutely nothing! I know that there is a diplomatic incident between Netherlands and Turkey – just to name one news item – and still do the small talk. Hence, I stopped shallow diving.
Because I stopped reading the news, I have more time left which I use to start reading more in-depth. Mainly books or in-depth articles from magazines or journals on areas of my interest.
4. Be present in the moment!
One of the main sources of interruption nowadays is the mobile phone. I took it wherever I went.. Even when I went to the restroom (as I understand from people around me, this is apparently more a guy thing :) ).
I am unlearning this. However, I am not there yet. I still notice that unconsciously I have the tendency to take it, I still need to adjust on making a conscious decision on whether I actually need my phone.
People who are talking to you while typing on the phone are not present in the moment. These people are making a deliberate decision by not choosing to give you their undivided attention… We can choose whether we want to be present in the moment. Or not…? That is the question…
What drives you to be or not to be busy…? What methods help you to control your ‘busyness’…?