Do you find yourself too busy all the time? Being busy is okay but when you are too busy, you can start to feel anxious and overwhelmed. You may be doing things but are they the most important things that need to be done?
Imagine if you could do less. What would that do for you? Think about the time you would have – what would you do. Now think about all the really important things that you want to do. Things that have meaning.
Now imagine that you could achieve more while doing less. Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy when you streamline your schedule.
Benefits of Doing Less and Achieving More
- Make progress on what matters the most. It seems illogical that doing less will help you get through your to-do list. In actual fact, by focusing your efforts you will be able to accomplish more.
- Feel more creative. When you are not running around like crazy you have the brain space to be creative. Quiet moments can trigger innovation. For example, you may realize how you want to decorate a room or what to include in that project for work.
- Reduce your level of anxiety. If you have a never ending to-do list you are likely stressing yourself out over it. You will feel much more capable, confident and lighter if you set realistic expectations.
- Improved physical health. Stress is well known to aggravate many physical disorders including frequent headaches and colds. By trying to do too much, we are causing ourselves unnecessary stress and anxiety.
- Enjoy your life more. By drawing on your strengths and devoting your time to what really matters to you, you will find more pleasure and satisfaction in what you do each day.
Now let’s look at some strategies for reducing your activities.
Strategies for Doing Less and Achieving More
- Prioritize. Identify your top three priorities. Is it your work, your relationship or a hobby that is most important to you? If it is, what exactly do you want to achieve?
- Motivate yourself. You need to be motivated to do whatever needs to be done. If you prioritize tasks that have the results that that motivate you, you will be much more likely to get them done. The quality of your achievements is much more important than the quantity.
- De-clutter. Some people can find things in seeming disorder. But sometimes it is just a mess that needs to be cleaned up. Excess clutter can cause stress and anxiety while an orderly environment promotes efficiency. Develop a system that works for you.
- Unplug. You don’t have to live in the wild, just turn off your phone, notifications and any other technology so that you can have real conversations and be uninterrupted when you need to focus on achieving something.
- Reduce distractions. Distractions don’t have to be technology related. Make sure you limit your other distractions too.
- Busyness bragging. It seems that being busy can be a competition. Consider if that is really something you want to compete on. Wouldn’t you rather compete on how happy you are or how much fun you had?
- One thing. Focus on doing only one thing at a time. Studies have shown that multitasking is significantly less efficient than focusing on one thing. Finish one task before moving to the next. This will allow you to give the proper care and consideration to each item on your list.
- Incorporate fun. Tasks become much more enjoyable when you are having fun. The more you enjoy what you are doing the more you will enjoy life.
- Relax. Take opportunities throughout your day to take a breath and relax. Use any time you spend waiting (i.e. at appointments or in grocery line) as time to reflect and relax.
- Morning routine. Start your day the best way you can – ensure a positive mindset and enough time to do whatever you need to do, be it meditation, exercise, a healthy breakfast or motivating yourself for the rest of the day.
- Review and reflect. Each evening, reflect on what went well and what could have gone better that day. Make sure that you have a plan for the next day so you can be as productive as possible.
When you actively take control of how you spend your time you will feel less stressed and be more productive. Set your priorities and engage in activities that are meaningful for you. Remember that this is an ongoing process, it may take time and adjustments to find what works best for you, but you will ultimately get more of what you want.