Read This If You Have Trouble "Relaxing"
I was miserable.I just took a day off.I was "trying" to relax all day.All I could think about were all the things that needed my attention.I spend a lot of my time thinking about identifying important things and getting them done.Don't laugh but this is hard for me.Of course, most of the work will be there when I return to it--and without any real consequence.But sometimes, there are things that will break if you don't attend to them.Getting through the anxiety of not fixing them requires reminding yourself of the consequences and accepting them.Only then, will the voice in your head be quieted and you will be able to focus on being present.
It's a comparison.
Either you can let go of the work and focus on yourself, or you can let the work take your attention until you let it give you a break.It won't.Your call.
2 Minute Action
What's giving you the most anxiety today?What are the top items on your worry list?What will happen if you don't alleviate them today?Tomorrow?Take 2 minutes to meditate on the consequences.This part is up to you. If you can accept the consequences, it's easier to give yourself permission to rest.If not, you might just be anxious until you make the time to resolve them.
You Think You're Output Is High, But This Will Change Your Mind
I was talking to an old friend recently, who was explaining all of the things they did inside his organization.I run this . . .I manage that . . .I monitor these . . .He went on and on about all of his responsibilities. This list was impressive.After he had talked for a while, he noticed that I hadn't said anything back.He asked: "So, I should be getting paid more, right?"Ugh. Tough question to ask a friend who genuinely wants to help.Instead of rolling over and responding with an easy "of course," I redirected his attention."It's obvious that you've got a lot going on, but do you know how much value your work has to the business?"I said.He replied, "what do you mean?"I recast it, "I mean do you know how many clients, happy customers, or how much money your work outputs for the business? I don't know what your metrics are, but do you know how you're being graded?"Silence.
Moral of the story:
Before you go off on a rant or claiming that you're busy all the time and can't get a break and work without recognition, give yourself a quick reality check.What are your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)?What are your sales goals?What are the axes on which your boss will grade your performance in your annual review?If you can't point to clear data, don't expect to move the needle on your projects or get a pay raise.
2 Minute Action:
If you work for an organization in which you want to rise, ask your supervisor how you're being graded and (in VERY specific terms) what you need to do to get to the next level.If you're working on your own projects and want to increase your output, you need to define what metrics are important at the stage you're in.Take 2 minutes to get the first draft down.
How To Use Trust To Crush Your To-Do List
If you have a pile of to-dos that are sitting, waiting, all with expired due dates and no prioritization . . .. . . just stick with me.
Step 1. Create three columns
Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Done.The Backlog is the space for you to drop undefined, kinda vague tasks that don't really have a clear start or finish in your mind. It's the place for "someday maybe" tasks, and other ideas for things you should do. This list doesn't have to be prioritized and it doesn't have to have due dates on tasks.The Sprint Backlog is the space for your working to-do list. You should keep it to only a list of things you can accomplish in 1 or 2 weeks. This list should be prioritized and you should have an idea of how "heavy" the task is. Since humans are notoriously bad at guessing how much time things will take, I've used point systems and T-Shirt sizes (S, M, L, XL) to gauge task "weight."The Done space is for, you guessed it, stuff you've done. By keeping track of this list, you can see how many tasks (or points) you've accomplished in the sprint period. This will give you an idea of how much you can reasonably get done from sprint to sprint. The obvious benefit of this is that by consistently predicting a feasible workload for yourself, you won't be disappointed or surprised when if you don't get some massive amount of stuff done.Together, these three columns create what's known in Agile Management as the Scrum Board.
Step 2. Prioritize the Sprint Backlog
Use the Eisenhower Decision Matrix if you're having trouble with this step.
Step 3. Delete stuff
Everything on that list should be fighting for it's life to stay there. Your time and attention are the most valuable assets you own. Don't overload yourself with tasks that don't matter!When you don't trust your to-do list to be true or accurate, you stop trusting the one tool that will help you see your priorities clearly. Your most important tool will become less and less useful.When you don't trust your to-do list, you don't get as much done. When you don't get as much done, you stop trusting your abilities.And if you lose trust in your abilities, it's going to take you a lot of small wins to get your mojo back.That's it.
2 Minute Action
You probably can't do all three steps above in 2 minutes, but I bet you can do one of 2 things:
- Delete stuff that doesn't matter. Each task should fight for it's life.
- Schedule 30 minutes on your calendar to run through steps 1-3 today.
It's your life. It's up to you how you spend it.You can keep doing what you've always done, or you can get serious about your output.It's your day.