Getting out of the grip of busy-ness

Regular readers of this blog, will know that I am quite a keen gardener and I try to spend as much time as I can in my allotment. I often end a session spending a few minutes just sitting on a bench admiring the sunset, listening to the birds, contemplating my seedlings and what I can plant next and recently I watched a couple of bats zigzagging around me hunting for their evening meal, I am in heaven.

However, I am also reminded of how we all get caught up in the grip of “busy-ness.” The compulsion to complete things, meet deadlines, fit in just a bit more and then a bit extra.

This was a timely reminder for me that being “on the go” over a long period of time does take its toll. I am reminded of the stress I suffered before escaping the rat race to start my own organisational development and coaching practice and live my dream.

We are living in times where busy-ness has become the norm for most people - beyond a choice – almost a survival necessity. But where does it end?

Here are some thoughts, reflections and reminders for you:

1 Being constantly busy can rob us from focusing on what is truly important rather than what is urgent along with a consequent list of activities to tick off. Keep an eye on your more developmental and progressive, long-term goals and remember, sometimes “less is more.”

2 Important and nurturing relationships can be overlooked in favour of other more pressing work demands. The quality of those very relationships, which provide us with nourishment and care, can suffer.

3 As much as we may love doing what we do, we are much more than our jobs.

4 Take a few minutes and do a “busy-ness scan”. Where and how might you be over stressing yourself? Watch out for any body signals that need attention. Do not ignore the basics of good health and self-care. This is what will give you the longevity so you keep doing what you love doing..…longer!

5 Consciously schedule time to chill out for some serious rest, relaxation and fun. Down times are good for re-fueling your mind, body and soul. And yes – you may have to re-visit your priorities, time frames, delegation, and practice of saying NO. And as you do this, how about a “gratitude scan” for all that is still wondrous about your life?

So take a pause and get in touch with where you might be out of balance and take some positive and healthy steps to connect with the neglected you.

Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should keep doing it. If you would like some coaching in your life - management, executive, corporate / organisational or life coaching, why not contact the Enfys Acumen today.

Is your priest or pastor a servant of the Lord or a slave to the church?

As a Christian I am aware of the huge pressures that may be placed on clergy to manage their time effectively, work with limiting resources and deal with the fantastic number of challenges that face them every day from a diverse range of people. I am also aware as a church member, that clergy can often be in quite an isolated position, the kind of management support that is available in other careers and callings may not always be available and it is possible to become stuck in a creative rut or a cycle of procrastination. What I sometimes think of as a slave to the machinery of the church.

If these issues sound familiar, you might like to make sure that your priest, minister or pastor receives a copy of this blog post.

I would be delighted to offer my services as a coach to help your clergy to remain positive and increase their success in their role as a servant of the Lord. More information about the kind of coaching support I can provide and the benefits to the coaching client can be seen on the Enfys Acumen website.

In today’s changing church environment, I am sure you will see how they could be applied to church leadership professions.

As an introductory opportunity I am offering four coaching sessions, by telephone at the client's convenience, for the total fee of £108 (ongoing sessions can be agreed at a favourable rate). Naturally, professional confidentiality will be guaranteed. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to know more.

Is procrastination holding you back?

As a coach there are two issues above all others that I am asked by people to help deal with more than any others – the first is work-life balance (or life-work balance as I prefer to call it) and the second big issue is procrastination. Perhaps you are not surprised? Perhaps you are a procrastinator yourself? Don’t worry you are in good company and the habit of putting things off until another day is something we all do at some time or another.

So what exactly is procrastination?

How often do you come into your office, you grab a coffee, sit at your desk and there it is. That task you were going to do yesterday, or was it the day before, or even longer. Every time you see it now, you start feeling the pressure of not having done it. So what do you do? You check your emails, you count your paperclips, your restack a pile of papers – that’s made you feel better hasn’t it? But the important job is still there, waiting for you to get on with it… and so is the pressure and guilt. Ring any bells? That’s procrastination.

How often do you decide to lose some weight? This time you say it is going to be different. You just need to cut out the chocolate biscuits for the next few weeks. Your colleague comes by and offers you a HobNob “Would you like one?” “Oh I shouldn’t, maybe just one won’t hurt.” Ring any bells? That’s procrastination.

You are your own boss, you rely on networking to create more business. You went to a breakfast event and met someone who is interested in what you do and they encouraged you to give them a call. You return to your desk and you intend to follow them up, but you’ll give them a couple of hours to get back to their office – the next thing you know it is 7pm and too late to call. No problem, you will do it tomorrow. Ring any bells? That’s procrastination.

If these scenarios strike a chord with you, you’re not alone. In fact, many people procrastinate to some degree – but some people are so chronically affected by procrastination that it stops them achieving the things they are more than capable of and can severely affect their careers.

The key to overcoming this destructive habit of procrastination is to recognise when it starts, understand why it happens (even to the best of us!) and take some active steps to effectively manage your time and the outcomes you achieve.

Procrastination is evident in individual people and it is also evident in businesses and organisations – quite often I have come across whole cultures of procrastination. Teams of people can get into the rut of putting things off.

So why do you procrastinate?

Procrastinators work as many hours in the day as other people (and often work longer hours), but they invest their time in the wrong tasks. Sometimes this is simply because they don't understand the difference between urgent tasks and important tasks, and jump straight into getting on with urgent tasks that aren't actually important.

Sometimes, procrastinators may feel that they're doing the right thing by reacting fast. Or they may not even think about their approach and simply be driven by the person whose demands are loudest. Either way, by doing this, they have little or no time left for the important tasks, despite the unpleasant outcomes this may bring about.

Another common cause of procrastination is feeling overwhelmed by the task. You may not know where to begin. Or you may doubt that you have the skills or resources you think you need. So you seek comfort in doing tasks you know you're capable of completing.

Unfortunately, the big task isn't going to go away - truly important tasks rarely do.

Other causes of procrastination include:

• Waiting for the right mood or the right time to tackle the important task at hand

• A fear of failure or success

• Underdeveloped decision making skills

• Poor organisational skills and

• Perfectionism - "I don't have the right skills or resources to do this perfectly now, so I won't do it at all"

How can you overcome procrastination?

Whatever the reason behind procrastination, it must be recognised, dealt with and controlled before you miss opportunities or your career or business is put in jeopardy.

First Step: Recognise that you are procrastinating

If you're honest with yourself, you probably know when you are procrastinating. To be sure however, you first need to make sure you know your priorities. Putting off an unimportant task is not necessarily procrastination, it may well be good prioritisation. You might find it helps to check this out with someone whose opinion you trust and respect.

Some useful indicators which will help you pull yourself up as soon as you start procrastinating include:

• Filling your day with low priority tasks

• Reading an e-mail or request that you've noted more than once, without starting work on it or deciding when you're going to start work on it

• Sitting down to start a high-priority task, and almost immediately going off to make a cup of coffee or check your e-mails

• Leaving a task for a long time, even though you know it's important

• Regularly saying "Yes" to unimportant tasks that others ask you to do and filling your time with these instead of getting on with the important tasks already on your list

Second Step: Work out why you're procrastinating

Why you procrastinate can depend on both you and the task. It is crucial to understand what the reasons for procrastination are for each situation, so that you can select the best approach for overcoming your reluctance to get going.

Common causes of procrastination were discussed in detail above, but they can often be reduced to two main reasons:

• You find the task unpleasant; or

• You find the task overwhelming

Third Step: Get over it!

If you are putting something off because you just don't want to do it, and you really can't delegate the work to someone else, you need to find ways of motivating yourself to get moving. The following approaches can be helpful here:

• Make up your own rewards

• Ask someone else to check up on you. Peer pressure works! This is the principle behind slimming and other self-help groups, and it is widely recognized as a highly effective approach

• Identify the unpleasant consequences of not doing the task

• Work out the cost of your time to your employer, your business or your customers or clients. As people are paying you to do the things that they think are important, you're not delivering value for money if you're not doing those things. Shame yourself into getting going!

If you're putting off starting a project because you find it overwhelming, you need to take a different approach. Here are some tips:

• Break the project into a set of smaller, more manageable tasks. You may find it helpful to create an action plan

• Start with some quick, small tasks if you can, even if these aren't the logical first actions. You'll feel that you're achieving things, and so perhaps the whole project won't be so overwhelming after all

The cost of procrastinating in your personal and professional life is real and very high:

• Lost relationships, which lead to
• Lost opportunities, which cost you
• Money - all of which creates
• Stress
• Guilt
• Feelings of inadequacy
• Anxiety and
• Low self esteem
  

Sometimes it too difficult to beat procrastination alone, if that is the case for you, the Enfys Acumen can help, why not get in touch for a free taster session.

The Power Of Networking?

Do you have times when you seem to do nothing but networking? I know I'm going through one of those periods at the moment. It is in fact part of my current maketing strategy to review the available networking opportunities.

Don't get me wrong, I am convinced that networking creates a power that leads to a richer, fuller personal and professional life – a power that comes from a spirit of giving and sharing. I am sure networking must be the most cost-effective marketing tool around when it is used wisely, appropriately, and professionally. I have been attending so many opportunities so that I'm in a position to make an informed choice about how I can spend my time effectively during the year.

However, networking is often misunderstood, misused, and therefore underused. Networking is an attitude, an approach to life. It is not just a “thing to do”. It should encompass the way in which you relate to people and resources around you. It is as much about giving as it is about getting business.

Over the last ten days or so, I have been to three business breakfasts, one working lunch and two evening events. I am a member of an e-group for coaches and guess what has been the topic that has dominated discussions over the last week? You've got it, networking. Or more specifically the pros and cons of a particular nationally available breakfast-time opportunity.

I don't regret the time or expense at all, I've come away from each event with a pocketful of business cards, met some interesting people, definitely a few new clients. I've found some opportunities for joint ventures and even been entertained by a couple of fellas who reminded me of the Chuckle Brothers. There have been opportunities that I would like to return to again and again and there are others I probably won't rush back to for a while.

This, I think, has been the big lesson of the last couple of weeks - you need to find the networking opportunity that is likely to work best for you and your business. You might prefer the formal, strictly timed elevator-speech opportunity. You might prefer the laid back, free for all-type events, where making contact with other people is entirely up to you. Some events offer something in-between. You might not like getting up too early in the morning, a lunch might eat into too much of your day (geddit!) or family responsibilities might prevent evening attendance?

What is really important however is to remember that most people will do business with people they know and like. That's why it is important to find the networking opportunity you like best, go along frequently, get to know people and let them get to know you. Success from networking is about building confidence and trust. I thoroughly recommend networking as a means of promoting your business and finding out about opportunities that might serve you well in return. Importantly, the knowledge you gain about other businesses can add value to what you give your own clients and customers.

As someone who has worked in voluntary organisations for most of his career and still has many clients from that sector to boot, I think that most charities are really missing a trick for identifying donors or commercial sponsors by not joining networking groups. Don't forget charities have to do business with others too, you might get some really good deals and definitely a better quality of service from people and businesses you get to know well.

Have I convinced you?

If so, why not get in touch to find out about the types of networking opportunities that exist. What's more I could coach you to make sure you maximise the value your networking opportunity.