Do you ever get to the end of a busy day having done a great deal, but feeling frustrated that you haven't got the important stuff done? When the same things are on your to-do-list for several weeks, it's a good sign that you are not getting done all that you would like! So why is this?
We all experience days when it is hard to get focused and there are just too many distractions. But constantly breaking off and losing your focus will result in taking longer to complete tasks or them simply not getting done! The outcome will be frustration, ineffectiveness and feeling overwhelmed. Continue reading 7 Effective ways to deal with distractions and stay focused
For many of us saying no can be difficult and we have all experienced saying yes when we really wanted to say no!
For example, your diary is already full, but you have been asked to squeeze in another meeting and you don't know how to say no. You are working on an important task which has to get done that day, but a colleague has asked for your help and you genuinely want to be helpful. Or you have been asked to take on an activity which you would rather not do, but feel flattered to be asked.
There are times when there is just too much going on. When you're busy with competing demands on your time, it's hard to be as effective as you could be. This leaves you feeling overwhelmed, struggling to get stuff done, and frustrated about the lack of time for yourself.
Do you ever find yourself doing anything except the task you are supposed to be doing? Suddenly you are highly motivated to have a major clear out, offer to run errands for your colleagues or feel inspired to file all of your books alphabetically, by genre! If so, then it is fair to say that you will be experiencing classic procrastination.
Procrastination is when we put off or delay doing something which we should be doing. The outcome is that we waste time doing other stuff, are easily distracted and fail to get the important things done.
Most of us are busy. We are constantly navigating multiple demands in our personal and professional lives, which can leave us tired and overwhelmed.
We have a lot to do and it can be tempting to keep going in the hope that we will get everything done. Our personal needs can also be neglected whilst we resist taking time out to deal with our busy lives.