Articles

Is Your Busy-Ness Slowly Killing You?

March 16, 2010 (Number 7) Executives often tell me how busy they are.  At such times, I get curious.  "Are you taking time to reflect?" I ask.  "Are you pausing to clearly look at yourself and the bigger picture?"  Frequently they respond, "Dean, I just don't have time for that."  Hearing talk like this, I begin to worry.

Do you, too, complain about being "too busy"?  Instead of viewing yourself as a victim of your circumstances, consider if you might be choosing them.  Consider if, in fact, you may be secretly finding comfort in all your frantic activity.  Might being so busy actually be easier for you than pausing to focus on what your career, your business and your life are really about — and what you're trying to accomplish?

I've found that many executives get caught in very busy routines of doing the same things that earlier made them successful.  And they just keep doing ever more of it.  All the effort may be stimulating, but the tension continually builds, their awareness narrows and their growth starts stalling.  And deep inside, they develop a nagging sense the frenzied pace is harming them, and their businesses, greatly.

Are you ready to reclaim your power?  Consider scheduling a regular time every week for quiet reflection.  Make it at least 20 minutes and cover the following:

• Ask yourself, "Where am I going in my professional and personal life and what is most important for me to accomplish?  Is there anything I'm not seeing?  What could I be doing differently?"  Record your answers.

• Next ask yourself, "To what extent were my activities last week aligned with my larger goals?"  And ask, "Did I fall into any harried states?  How did that impact my presence as a leader — and how others experience me?"

• As you reflect, notice your emotions.  Are you feeling anxious?  Or self-doubt?  Or perhaps an internal voice of harsh self-criticism?  This is all very natural.  It's what's been driving much of your intense activity.  Determine to no longer cede control to these emotional forces within you. 

Remember: You need not be enslaved by endless, frantic activity, nor by underlying worries and self-doubts.  Taking time for reflection puts you back in control of your life — and restores your power. 


Dean Herman