Busy as Hell? There's a Simple Solution.
“You can’t believe how hard it is for people to be simple, how much they fear being simple. They worry that if they’re simple, people will think they’re simple-minded. In reality, of course, it’s just the reverse. Clear, tough-minded people are the most simple.”
Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash
In most cases, we're busy because of our own doing. When you first start a job, you feel obligated to say yes to everything. There's a perception it will reflect poorly on you as a hire. Saying yes has a compounding effect. But it won't lead to the incredible return you'd expect. It leads to burnout and a general distaste for what you're doing.
In the absence of choice, the yes, I can do that, rapidly becomes an obligation. Feeling bound to do work outside the scope of your role is hell.
The exact traits that make you a standout candidate are also your shortcomings. I'm busy because of my own ambition and drive. I'm afraid of what exists in their absence. Do I become lazy? Do I give up and play it safe for the rest of my life?
The answer is a deafening no. It doesn't disappear. You don't have less of it. Ambition and drive are energy. You get better at spending your energy on what provides the biggest ROI.
Want a big ass nest egg? Don't touch your money and watch it grow. Waren Buffet said, "the record shows that the unmanaged index fund is going to do quite well over time and active investment as a group can't beat it." Why the hell am I talking about investing? Because it's a principle that applies to the expenditure of time and energy. Negotiate your time in a similar manner and compound your impact 10x.
Every time you say yes, you're saying no to something else.
Newer, bigger, faster, prettier, do not equate to value.
What's something you're humming and hawing about? If you say yes, what are you saying no to?
Hold yourself accountable! Shoot me an e-mail chris@simplifyyourwhy.com and tell me what you're doing or struggling with!
