By: Betsy Hayden
We’re going to spring three words out of your vocabulary and focus on being fabulous.
Spring has sprung and we think of ourselves as being as “busy” as a bee. In my coaching practice I often hear my clients say they are “busy, so busy, too busy.” I then ask them if they are scheduled and productive. When you are asked to chair an event, do you say you are “too busy”? A better answer is, “Let me check my schedule.” If your schedule is on your phone, wait and check it at home where you can look at your timeline for the next three months. By doing this you have bought yourself some time to evaluate whether or not this fits in with your goals or if you can help in a smaller way.
Anticipate that there will be urgencies and emergencies. Leave some time in your schedule for that. When they don’t happen, you have bought yourself time to be proactive in your business. Make that call to have coffee with a potential client or team member and follow up with people you have met out networking.
I must share this little story with you. I often meet business owners, and of course, I want to find out what they do. In learning about this business, I may mentor them to some extent on the spot. Often, I hear, “I’m too busy to do that.” Oh! Okay, and then I move on. Of course, we connect on Facebook and in about two weeks I receive a message to pick cabbage with them. Not Jacksons’ and Grants’ kind of cabbage. Nor the kind you can eat, but the virtual kind of cabbage! Seriously! You told me you were busy, so busy, too busy to grow yourself and your business.
The second word we are going to spring out of your vocabulary is “stressed.” Same as before: “I’m stressed, so stressed, too stressed.” Remember from busy you have learned what to put on your plate. The definition of “stressed” is simply to put pressure or tension on. Think about a rubber band. What good is it unless it is stressed? It’s not. When you are doing things that are stretching you. You are growing; perhaps it is meeting a family schedule or obligation. You are being loving, giving and caring. Now when you think of yourself in this aspect you are not as exhausted.
The third word we are going to spring out of your vocabulary is “overwhelmed.” There is a theme here: “I’m overwhelmed, so overwhelmed, too overwhelmed.” The definition of “overwhelmed” is buried beneath or drowning. I know you are using this metaphorically, but in all three cases when you say, “I am,” you are calling this to yourself. Be protective of what is important to you. Put that on your schedule first.
I had a client who would get up early in the morning to do his personal development. Then he would go about doing his work and growing his business. He also stayed up late in the evening helping his girlfriend (now his wife) study to become a nurse. He was feeling “overwhelmed” because he was burning the candle at both ends. Midday he started dragging and could hardly hold his head up in meetings. He shared he needed a nap. We discussed how people in other countries take siestas. Quit being overwhelmed and, again, schedule the time you want or need to be productive. Put it in your calendar and protect that time. Shut your phone off, set an alarm to get up and go back to work. Remember you are in charge of who and what gets part of your 168 hours each week. As you refocus from these three words that are killing your productivity, you will spring into being fabulous. I believe we design our lives by the choices we make.
Cheers to a beautifully designed life!
Betsy Hayden holds a degree in Architecture and a minor in Drafting & Design. Working for 5 of the largest engineering firms in the world Betsy used John Maxwell’s Leadership principles to lead successful teams. She is the CTO (Chief Thriving Officer) of Awesome Focus.
She is a Certified Speaker, Trainer and Coach of The John Maxwell Team and Appreciation At Work. As a professional speaker she focuses on: Leadership,Team Building, Communication and Recognition. Betsy can be reached at: 843-597-6555 or emailed at: 2awesomefocus@gmail.com