Almost every podcast I listen to these days have one thing in common — loads of wisdom. And often the advice that almost 90 percent of the guests on the podcasts tell to their 30-year or 20-year old self is to “slow down.”
The hard part being a 30-year old is that you’ve tasted the fruits of hard work (in your 20s) and now would like to have a whole farm all by yourself. Not a bad goal to have. But instead of playing it smart they think workly doubly hard will be the only way to achieve their goal.
You may know some people like that. Perhaps, you are one of them.
I am one of them.
I get irritated when I end up working as hard on a weekend or an off-day or even when I’m working from home! There’s so much to do! And I want to achieve them all! What about rest and recovery? Family and loved ones?
I like the idea of “doing more with less” but there is so much to do that you can’t help but worry about how to achieve them all, in the shortest possible time—so that you can do other things that you love to do, besides work. (If you hate your work, quit. Both your employer and you will be happier. That’s the shortest advice I can ever give.)
Like all (at least most) of the things that we plan for the day — doing less doesn’t just happen by itself. It starts with planning. You need to plan to do less. Perhaps the 20 percent that impacts 80 percent of your most important work.
I like the idea of highlighting the MITs (Most Important Tasks) for the day and taking them head on first thing in the morning. It gives you a clear sense of what’s the most important thing (that’s why the name, duh!) almong the thousand things you need to accomplish that day, without overwhelming yourself.
And the biggest detterent to achiving your MITs for any given day can be your lack of courage to say NO to everything that doesn’t contribute to your MITs. Say NO to your friends, family and loved ones often. They need to understand that you’re working on something important.
If they can’t — it’s just a situation, they eventually will. Just ensure that you’re giving them enough them as well. The best way to do that is to schedule it in your calendar.
You don’t have to do it all today. Take it slowly. One day at a time. Work will always be there tomorrow.
Focus on your MITs, say NO more often and remember to breathe.