At the start of the year there is always talk about New Year’s resolutions. What new habit are you going to take up for the year ahead. In our overloaded world, wouldn’t it be better to ask, what are you giving up?
We never have too little to do
I haven’t comes across a single client who at the start of our engagement says they have too little to do. It is always the opposite and they are usually trying to figure out how they can get more done. What efficiency or time management hack can they use to get more done. It almost always ends in frustration, when despite their best efforts, it doesn’t get done.
The trouble with maybe’s
Contrast this with giving something up. We now have less to do and it is a liberating feeling. Even more so when we get important things done because we have the time. So what prevents us from giving something up? We don’t like to lose things. It is better to hold on to something than give it up. Do you have a to do list with a lot of things you never get to? Those things are maybe’s. Things you would like but you’ll never get done. They hang around, weighing you down. You feel disappointed when you don’t get them done.
It is much better to say no to them and let them go. The weight is lifted, and perhaps you will find the time to add them back to your plate, but only when you’ve got the more important things done first.
What are you giving up?