As we walked along the river late one evening, I started whining to my husband, "I didn't get anything done today."
Okay, that phrase was exaggerated at best. One look at my to do list showed that it simply wasn't true.
Yet sometimes it's not the number of things we've accomplished that matters, it's the quality of what we achieved. If you aren't putting in your best effort, it can leave you completely underwhelmed.
Get Rid Of The Clutter
There are two kinds of clutter that get in your way.
The first kind is the stuff-clutter. It's the books, the papers, and the doodads that take up space on your desk. It's the clothes, shoes, boxes and piles that take up space in your closet. If you get sidetracked a lot, you have too much clutter. Stuff-clutter prevents you from doing the important tasks. You wind up reading a paper instead of typing a blog post, or organizing your shoes when you simply went to find a sweater.
The second kind is the mind-clutter. Mind-clutter happens when you attempt to multitask. Your to-do list is a mile long. You have a hundred tasks to complete, and they all have to get done by close of business today. It's all about overachieving, and racing to the finish line to see how much you can complete.
The funny thing is both hold you back, and often work together to get in your way. If you think too much, have too much around you vying for your attention, you'll never put in the best effort you can. The only way to do better is to get rid of your stuff.
Do It For Yourself, Not For Others
"Okay, I'll do it." I found myself grudgingly accepting the responsibility. I complained while I worked on it. I grumbled as I completed each task. I knew full well how it was keeping me from doing a job that was clearly more important than this project.
Yet I did it because I made a promise to a friend.
What I really should have done is learned how to say "NO".
Taking on a task that clearly isn't in your best interest doesn't make you a "friend" or a "team player". It compromises you working at the best of your ability. If you don't want to do it, say no.
Multitasking IS NOT our friend
New evidence is coming out all the time on the perils of multitasking. Studies show the average worker can lose more than two hours a day due to the interruptions and distractions associated with working on more than one thing at a time.
By the end of the day, we feel rushed to finish what should be easy, yet our minds are a whirl with all the challenges still yet to face. Finishing one thing and finishing it well leaves us satisfied and complete. Starting and having multiple projects left uncompleted leaves us overwhelmed and stressed.
Want to improve? Change your focus.
What You Do Changes Every Day
What is your job title today? How do you spend the moments of each and every day? Occasionally I think about my father, wishing I could sit down with him for lunch and talk with him about my life. How the world has changed since he died in 1994. I would have to explain what a social media strategy is, how to use an iPad, and what crowdfunding means. Could we have predicted this world back then? No more than we can predict what the world will be like in 2020, or 2030.
What seems important today may be old and archaic tomorrow. If you start a project today and procrastinate, it may be out of date before it's completed.
Each piece of what we do builds on everything we've learned and done before. We don't have to be "experts" at everything, because the term will always move and change and grow. Do the best for today because that's all we really can do.
Pick and Choose
I found myself sitting with my daughter, helping her choose what direction to take in college. She was having a hard time because her "passion" hadn't jumped out and hit her over the head. So I gently guided her, helping her understand that she didn't have to do everything. She didn't have to be good at everything. She simply had to choose those things she was interested in, those things that brought her joy, and move forward with those. They didn't define who she was; they simply guided her to do more. She could change. She could pick and choose, leaving some things behind while moving towards others.
Wham. My own advice hit me over the head. Why couldn't I take in that advice myself? I didn't have to do something just because I had always done it. I didn't have to stick with the same business model simply because I had clients built around it. I could move and change and grow.
Holding on to things you no longer enjoy just because they've always been a part of your life takes the joy out of exploring the new things entering it. While there is always overlap, the quicker you move towards your greatest interests, the faster you'll be able to devote time doing only what you love.
Have The Confidence To Let It Go
"What if this new path doesn't succeed? What if everything goes wrong?"
In reality, what if everything goes wrong? What if you don't succeed? What if you fall flat on your face and end up at the worst possible place you can be? Chances are even at that point, you'll still have a lot going on in your life. Life is rarely the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Instead, it's this roller coaster ride of ups and downs, always moving you to the next level.
Accept you'll be on the roller coaster the rest of your life. Let go. And have a thrilling ride.