“Busy” and “Productive” are two very different ways of being and of relating to time. I am pretty sure you know what I mean! How often do you feel stressed, overwhelmed, and like you are chasing time and never catching up? That’s being (and feeling) busy!
On the other hand, there are also days when items on your to-do list are accomplished one after the next. That’s when you’re optimizing your productivity. It feels great, doesn’t it?
Busy to Productive
So how do you transform being Busy into being Productive?
It may seem counter-intuitive (and it can definitely be difficult to put into practice), but when you are your most stressed and ‘busy’ is when you need to slow down. Pausing to catch your breath and get your feet back under you is like letting the dust settle.
Even after a few minutes, you feel more in touch with yourself, your priorities become clearer. When you move ahead again, it’s with surer purpose and more focused energy.
This enables you to be productive and spend your precious time more wisely. In a matter of a few minutes, your time is transformed. Your energy feels different, and the proof is in what you are then able to accomplish.
Let Go of Being Busy to Claim Your Power
For many of us, being busy can be part of our identity. So, ironically, letting go of this trait, even though it is unproductive, can feel quite difficult. It takes discipline to pause in the midst of overwhelm, breathe deeply, and allow yourself to take charge of your time, rather than chased by it.
You don’t have to let being busy define and constrain you. Having the insight to recognize when being busy is undermining your productivity is the first step. Then having the courage and discipline to stop in your tracks and transform all of that frantic energy – now THAT is what Finding Time is all about!
And if you’d like to learn more about your own patterns and start changing them, my new Exercise and Guide Book titled, “‘These Critical Voices Are Driving Me Crazy!’ How to Use Positive Self-Talk to Save Your Sanity and Your Time!” offers proven techniques and practical tips to quiet those disruptive, haunting and hostile voices of self-criticism.
We really can make conscious choices about the kinds of messages that we give ourselves. And as an added bonus when you purchase this Exercise and Guide Book you can quickly get back your investment. You’ll find all the details at the end of the Guide Book.
So, this Exercise and Guide Book gives you a step-by-step path to take back your power and quiet the self-criticism that saps your confidence, your energy, and your time.
Don’t let those hurtful voices hold you hostage! Click the link to get started!
Related articles
- Perfectionism, Procrastination and Transformation: More Favorites for Finding Time (thetimefinder.com)
- Time Choices: Science Helps You Find More Time! (thetimefinder.com)
- Goal-Setting to Stay Flexible and Find Time! (thetimefinder.com)
Paula, Thank you for another good article! You are right. Taking time (we have to take it–that’s the only way we get it) to ‘smell the roses’ or do some deep breathing or stretching or a walk or read something just for pleasure is very good. It helps to step back and take a break, a real break. When we focus back on the task it’s with fresh eyes and body.
Thank you, Kathryn. I especially appreciate your items of emphasis, i.e. making it a REAL break, and noting the importance of the physical in all of this. Our bodies have such a profound affect on the quantity and quality of energy that we bring to our moments. Thanks for adding your insights and enlarging on these ideas!