I’m sure we’ve all had those days when we’ve not stopped but seem to have achieved nothing, that’s the busyness paradox in action. It feels like if we’re doing loads it means we must be being productive, right? But, actually often busyness just means we don’t have time to think, so we also don’t have time to prioritise or questions whether the things we are doing are actually important at all.
Don’t misunderstand me, we are all going to have the odd day when everything collides and we are just running around trying to get important things done. But, if that has become your normal then it’s probably time to break the cycle.
The busyness paradox cycle
Once you get into the busyness cycle, it takes a concerted effort to break out from it.
It can be really hard to recognise when you’re in the cycle, and even harder to give yourself the time to break out of it. When you have a never-ending to do list, stepping back to prioritise can feel counter-productive as it stops you completing some of the things no the list. But, reducing the list to a manageable level is essential. When your workload is manageable, you’ll do your best work. You will have time to think, you’ll likely make fewer mistakes, you’ll have more capacity for relationship building and you’ll have greater job satisfaction.
Breaking the cycle
Once you’ve recognised you’re in the cycle, just stop. Even taking just a few minutes to prioritise your next activity can make all the difference.
I often find just starring the important things on my to do list is a great way to start. Ask yourself what the impact will be if you don’t get the task done. It can be disheartening when you realise that not doing some of the things probably won’t have much of an impact at all. But, that’s totally normal. We all end up with tasks given to us or that we create through habit which no longer serve us. So if there’s no big impact, don’t star it. If there is a big impact it’s important so pop a star next to it. These are the items to focus on. The look through these and mark the ones which are overdue or due soon. Start there.
For those things you’ve picked up from others but really aren’t important. Politely let them know you aren’t going to be able to do them. If they are important to that person, they will find a way to get them done, either themselves or delegating them elsewhere.
Staying out of the busyness paradox cycle
Once you’ve started prioritising what you have, it’s time to prioritise new things. Every time you are given a task or think about adding one to your list. Ask yourself about the impact. If it’s not important don’t add it, either just don’t do it, or delegate it to someone else.
It can feel so hard to say no if your natural way is to please others. But, it’s important to remember that you are important here. If you are overwhelmed, you are effectively risking your own well-being to avoid letting others down. Learning to say no doesn’t make you a bad person, in fact being selfish can help you do more for others.
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