I’m So Busy!

In 2010 I was on a family vacation reading George W. Bush’s personal memoir, Decision Points, and was struck with an insight that I’ve carried ever since. There were plenty of topics that I found interesting in the book, including his devotion to his family, and his general climb through the world of government, business and politics. But what stood out most wasn’t about politics at all - it was a simple mention that he worked out every morning before heading into the Oval Office to lead the free world. So how could I possibly justify to myself that I don’t have time to exercise consistently? “I’m so busy!” was my thought - or more clearly, my excuse.

This simple realization from that book changed the way I think about my priorities and what’s important. If being healthy is truly important to me, then I need to prioritize making sure exercise happens. If achieving my annual sales quota is important, then I needed to prioritize prospecting. If leading a team is important, then I need to spend time driving a vision and coaching for top performance. If connecting with my family is important, then I need to prioritize putting my phone down when I get home and while on vacation. It’s that simple.

We hear this phrase again and again from people... “I’m so busy!” It’s often said in response to some fundamental thing that we know we need to do and just can’t seem to fit in the schedule. And it gnaws at us. And despite feeling overwhelmed, actually makes us feel a little empty inside.

Whether someone is leading a Fortune 100 global enterprise, running a school district, or managing the day-to-day mania of a young family - everyone is busy. Where I see it become a problem though, is with people who just aren’t happy, or aren’t accomplishing what they are capable of.

So the question becomes how to FIND the time, and there’s only two ways - you either expand your active day (wake up earlier, or go to bed later), or you de-prioritize something else. Now when I talk about expanding your day, I don’t mean to sacrifice sleep. Sleep is an incredibly important part of our physical and mental health. But it might mean going to bed earlier so you can start your day earlier because the morning is a better use of your time and energy. The point is, we can’t use “too busy” as an excuse - because that’s just not true. We don’t have time for things that we aren’t prioritizing - it’s a choice.

What Matters to Me?

Before we can get really good at optimizing our time, the first thing we need to answer for ourselves is, “What matters to me?” The idea being to consider what’s most important that you want out of your life or will make you feel good about yourself. It’s really hard to create focus and motivation without first answering this question. This may be things like a desire to be healthy or physically fit, to be connected and close with family and friends, or to make a good living so you can provide the things you want for you and your family.

Take a few minutes to think about what really matters to you, and write them down. That first step alone will make a difference, and probably only take 10-minutes. Then just sit on it for a bit and update if you need. This deliberate act will make you feel more purposeful, and will plant these priorities into your subconscious and guide your daily decisions.

Impact vs. Time

While “time management” is one way to approach our busy lives, I think a better mindset is considering how to maximize our impact…

How do we make the biggest impact on our happiness?

How do we make the biggest impact on our health?

How do we make the biggest impact on our family? On our job or our career?

On the world and those around us?

In his best selling book, The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss takes the concept of time management and impact to a whole different level. While the title is a bit of an exaggeration, the point is that we can accomplish an enormous amount in a very small amount of time - if we simply prioritize what’s most important, and where we can make the biggest impact.

When thinking about impact, I encourage you to also think about the unique skills and gifts that you bring to the world. Some people are really good at accounting. Some are really good at sales. Some are masterful at leading people. Others are gifted at connecting with kids. We all have something, and when we realize what that skill and gift is, it becomes much easier to maximize our impact by using that skill more often.

These natural skills also tend to be things that create energy for us. For me, speaking in front of large audiences, or meeting with senior level executives in a sales meeting is very comfortable and energizing for me. Doing accounting work is the opposite - it depletes my energy. For someone else, these activities would have a reverse affect on energy levels. This is why it’s important to identify our natural talents, and prioritize them in our lives.

Weekly and Daily Priorities

Have you ever ended your day and someone asked, “So, what did you do today?” and you find it hard to give a concrete answer? Or maybe your boss asked you, “What’s your most important priority this week?” and you struggle to give a meaningful answer to such a simple question. This is all the result of a gap in understanding what’s most important, knowing where we can make the most impact, and then taking the time to define the priorities that cascade down into our weekly and daily activities.

As you consider the topics of what matters to you, and where you can make the most impact, you’ll be in a much stronger position to determine and influence where you spend your time each day and what gets your attention. While we all may want to be hyper responsive to others or stay on top of everything, I’ll bet there are plenty of things on your to-do list or in your email inbox that really aren’t all that urgent to get done today…. or this week, or maybe ever. On the flip side, I’ll also bet there are larger topics or goals you have on your mind that aren’t even on your to do list or in your calendar.

It’s time to take control of your “busy-ness” and make sure the time you do have is spent on things that allow you to maximize your energy, and maximize your impact.