I have yet to meet a person that does not complain about how busy they are. It’s seems to be the new standard reply to “how are you?” No more “I’m fine”, just “busy.” The truth is, it is indeed the sign of the times. We are all guilty of immersing ourselves into over-scheduled days, action packed with juggling commitments, meeting deadlines, racing to appointments, and circuitous car pool runs. Mornings are hectic, work days grow longer, and conventional mealtimes have become more spontaneous than scheduled.
Don’t fool yourself; as a result of this daily chaos, we all suffer. We are all overextended, overbooked, at high speed overload doomed to crash and burn.
Being busy can be challenging but doable, but being too busy is arguably dangerous. Mistakes are inevitable, and if you have not planned well, important dates, commitments, possessions, etc. can be overlooked, lost, or forgotten. Is your busy schedule robbing you of things that matter to you? Are you lacking balance in your life?
What if I told you that if you stopped being so busy for a hot minute and relinquished a bit more more time to organize your lifestyle better, you’d actually have MORE time?
As to not unravel, I suggest two imperative tools to balance your life. Meet ORGANIZE and EXERCISE. They go hand in hand because they work in the same way for your mind, body, and soul. Hopefully most of us take to the gym to work out the stress we lug around, and strive to keep our bodies healthy and fit. Physical exercise is an excellent outlet to relieve our stress and provide the balance we require to function. Just as exercising targets specific muscle groups, mental organizing can target specific tasks and accelerate productivity. Take time out and focus on what matters to you.
EXERCISE your brain and ORGANIZE your priorities.
WARM-UP: Consider preparedness as your warm-up before a busy stressful day. It could prevent you from spiraling out of control. Consider your day at a glance, and make adjustments if your schedule looks too full. Paradoxically, if your life’s treadmill is running too fast, slow down and customize the speed that works for you.
STRETCH: Use bits of time that you can carve out as as an opportunity to stretch your potential and make positive changes in your harried schedule.
TRAIN: Train your mind to stay on task. Be aware of your actions and deliberate. Time is invaluable, don’t waste it, get a value from it.
ALIGN: Organizing your daily plan will keep you in alignment. Be clear and realistic about your daily goals.
BREATHE: Adhering to an agenda that is not abusive will enable you to pause and breathe. It’s important to catch a breath during a hectic day. Build in some wiggle room into your schedule, allowing for the unforeseen and unexpected.
Manage your settings; modify both your workout or work ethic. Take back the control. Being ORGANIZED, like EXERCISE, means having a routine, a plan, and a system.
Exercising daily is empowering and feeds your productivity. Active planning and organizing will do the same. In both scenarios, if you don’t schedule it, it won’t happen. Make time-management just another EXERCISE of your day.
ORGANIZE and EXERCISE are powerful tools to manage and balance our lifestyles and can help us live our best life. Make them part of your daily routine. Careers, marriages, relationships depend on it.
Are you too busy?
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