It’s been a long time since I’ve put fingertip to keyboard for the whole blog thing. (WordPress just told me it’s been 126 days.. Yikes. Ed.) I keep meaning to, but I’ve been way too busy.
Well not really. When I coach people who tell me they are way too busy to make a positive change in their life I always come back to the adage that you always make time for the things and people you love. Any one that knows me knows I love to write, so what is the real deal here? My mind is drawn back to a leadership and management course I attended recently. I’m what is known as a stress hoarder, the kind of person that can’t say no and wants to be everything for everyone at the same time. Now that sounds like it should be a good thing, but it’s very unhealthy (also a bit of a disappointment to those you make promises too. Ed)
So I thought I’d actually coach myself with this article, to remind me to not over do things. Here are my five top tips for keeping myself away from the edge:
1. Prioritise. I might not be able to do everything, but there are specific things I need to do. If I focus and prioritise on what is important, like my family, everything else will take a backseat and I can start deleting things that take up my time. I need to ask myself, ‘If I take this on what impact will it have on my time with my family?’
2. When does work stop? Ah, the £64,000 question. Well it stops when I want it to stop. I can choose to take things home with me, but that would be because I’m not being realistic with my line manager about what I can and cannot do. Hmmm, seems that I need to learn to say no and explain that I may be a little overworked.
3. Find time for me. This is one of the key to happiness. Yes I love family time, but if I don’t have some downtime and a little head-space for me will I become a pain in the ass to live with? Er, that’s an emphatic yes. But I’m lucky to have a wife that supports this and we allow each other downtime when we need it.
4. Are there enough hours in the day? Another yes! I just need to realise when I’m overspending them. It’s amazing what I can do with a little organisation!
5. Never be tired! Fatigue can cause stress and be a key sign of overwork. I need to make sure I get enough sleep and drink plenty of water. Rough sleep or waking and feeling as if you haven’t slept is a sure sign of stress too. I need to use my sleep monitor more and to ensure I’m having healthy sleep.
Being busy isn’t a bad thing. As I’ve said in previous posts, I feel lethargic and useless if I’m not busy. But there needs to be a balance and the important things need to be uppermost in my mind. There is space in my life for everything I want, I just need to organise it in a way that isn’t chaos!
The Inside Me 