One of the greatest misconceptions in life is that very busy people are the most successful. They have erroneously taken after the termites or ants whose busyness is inferred from the size of the anthill they build. This cannot be said of humans because they are different. We humans are very intelligent creatures and can use this ability to get more work done without necessarily resorting to too much busyness. This article is about how to be less busy and get more things done.
How Busy Are You?
Many people are too busy even to realize it. However, you will commonly hear these people say how tight their day is, what they had to do before and what they are yet to do. All these are geared toward personal, family and even community betterment. The truth of the matter is that too much busyness does not necessarily mean getting more things done and successfully.
To understand how busy you are, consider this. There are 24 hours a day, which you have to divide into three parts. Life has three facets: work, leisure and sleep. The available time should be divided equally among these facets. This means you should sleep for 8 hours, work for 8 hours and sleep for 8 hours.
In as much as this schedule cannot be strictly followed, it should act as a guide to your life. Those who tend to be too busy are those that spend most of the time working. For example if you are sleeping for just 4 hours a night, do not have time for leisure and spend the rest of the time working then you are the extremely busy kind. If you are reading this article, create some time and analyse your life. This will help you realize just how busy you are.
How Do You Realize You Are Busy?
Busyness can be accurately classified as a health problem. Are you shocked? Well, you should not because it is. First, your brain is a living tissue and not a machine and therefore needs periods of rest. If you cannot provide this because of busyness, it will have toll on your life. Secondly, your heart, lungs and even your muscles will bear the brunt.
The results of these are fast breathing, short breath and even palpitations. In addition, there may be mental problems arising from anxiety, panic and depression due to failed deadlines and pressure to achieve. Lack of time for socialization will also negatively impact on your relationships, especially with family and friends. All these will undoubtedly interfere with your productivity.
How to Be Less Busy yet Maximize Your Productivity?
If you have identified yourself as being the busy kind and even know that it is interfering with your life, now we can delve into discussing how to be less busy and get more things done. Here are 3 simple tips that can help you achieve this.
1. Drop the servant mind-set for a manager mind-set
One of the best ways to handle a lot of work is to divide it. If you are a family person and you have kids, they are your responsibility but some jobs should be left for them. In case they are old enough to do their laundry, clean dishes, make their beds and even clean their rooms, have them do this. At last, you will have these done, your only job would be to supervise and inspect what they have done. Even in the office, do not take all the responsibilities even if you think they are not done to your standard. By delegating, you give others the opportunity to grow.
2. Compartmentalize your life
Do not give priority to only one facet of life. Try as much as possible to compartmentalize your life. Set aside time to work, have leisure and sleep. Make sure you balance all these compartments by awarding them the right amount of time and sticking to it. This will maximize your productivity and make your life healthy and meaningful.
3. Make sure you take control of your life
Those who are too busy usually have their lives controlled by the responsibilities they have at hand. They try to implement the adage “if you want something done well, do it yourself.” The best way to take control of your work life is to make a to-do list and the time schedules you wish to achieve them. You have to follow this faithfully and nothing extra unless it is a matter of life and death. Whatever kind of to-do list you make, ensure there are spaces in between for relaxation.
Remember once busy, always busy. You have to make a conscious decision to get out of your busyness. If you use the above-mentioned tips, you will be well on your way to taking full control of your work life. Once you do this, you will see tremendous improvement in all the aspects of your life as well as productivity at work.
Choose to live your Life by Design!
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Genevieve Muwana