As an executive coach, several themes come up time and again. One of these is about feeling overwhelmed with all the crazy/busy priorities and consequently feeling like it's happening to you and not through you.
Being "time-poor" refers to a state where individuals feel that they have an inadequate amount of time to fulfil their various responsibilities and desires. In this circumstance, people often struggle to allocate time to meaningful activities such as spending time with family, pursuing hobbies, or focusing on personal well-being due to the demands of work, commuting, and other obligations. As a result, individuals may feel stressed, overwhelmed, and unable to strike a healthy balance between work and personal life. This term emphasizes the scarcity of time and the challenges faced in managing it effectively.
Importantly, someone may start to believe "I have no control over what happens to me at work and in life". A sense of agency is critical. Did you know that police, ambulance officers, lawyers and factory workers all report twice the average of clinically diagnosable stress effects because of this agency deficit? That is one step away from feeling dependent and with diminished locus of control. This is neither desirable nor healthy. We can become "tense-tired" rather than the ideal mood state of "calm-energy".
To gain control of your time and prevent exhausting yourself, consider implementing the following strategies:
Prioritize Tasks: Identify the most important tasks and allocate time to complete them. Use techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix or ABCD prioritization to focus on what truly matters. Run a "scrum" at the start of the week to ask "what shall we focus on" and one at the end of the week to ask "What happened".
Time Blocking: Schedule specific time blocks for different activities such as work, rest, exercise, and leisure. This helps to create a structured routine and ensures that essential activities are not overlooked.
Set Boundaries: Learn to say no to additional commitments that may overwhelm your schedule. Establish boundaries in both personal and professional environments to protect your time and energy.
Delegate: Delegate tasks when possible to lighten your workload. This could involve assigning responsibilities at work or getting support with household chores.
Breaks and Rest: Incorporate regular breaks into your schedule to rest and recharge. This could involve short breaks during work and longer periods of relaxation during weekends or vacations. Get up and walk, get your steps, get the blood moving.
Time Management Tools: Utilize tools such as calendars, to-do lists, and time-tracking apps to organize your tasks and ensure effective time management. I use my Calendly App to sync up my 3 calendars with those of others and to eliminate the back and forth of finding a time when everyone is available - that happens automatically in the background.
Reflect and Adjust: Regularly review your schedule and assess what activities may be consuming too much time or energy. Adjust your approach as needed to improve efficiency and reduce exhaustion.
Do something, anything that you have the bandwidth for. If you don't feel like making calls, do emails, pop over to see someone - follow your natural energy balance. But do something and you will slowly feel your agency coming back. For any issue, email, request or suggestion do one thing about it and do it right now. There are 4 choices
Worklife balance: Make sure that you are in a workplace that allows for life to happen - kids get sick, partners travel, people visit, kids start school, etc. If your employer expects you to seperate working and living - get a new employer. This applies to ways of working as well - sometimes it makes more sense to work from home for example.
Stop thinking that your boss is busier than you. That is usually not the case. People who get to the very top are awesome delegators and run brilliant 1:1's and coaching sessions. If you want something done, give it to a busy person.
By implementing these strategies, you can take proactive steps to manage your time effectively and prevent exhaustion.
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