Are You Lazy or Doing Too Much at Once?

Procrastination, laziness, lack of discipline--I keep hearing these themes over and over again from my clients.  Complaints of time-management issues, not being able to stay on top of email, exercise, moving forward with a business plan, getting that dream project launched, or those odd tasks that have been put-off for months at this point.  Why do we delay the joy of checking off that long avoided task? What is stopping us from taking one step closer to accomplishing our goals?

What is really going on here?  Many times, the culprit is Multi-Tasking.

More and more our lives--be it at the office, home, or on the go--are being overwhelmed by the "convenience" of alerts from email, texts, Facebook, Twitter, stocks, LinkedIn, news feeds, eBay, Instagram, and more. We are becoming addicted to the excitement of "what is happening now" and the fear of missing out.  Will kittens die if you don't answer that email or text within 30-seconds from receiving it? No? Then don't!

Here is a secret--you get to be the boss of your time most of the time.

How can we bring our best to any given task if we can't give it our full-attention?  Do we even remember full-attention anymore?  Writing without interruption, or a conversation/meeting without electronic devices, or a smart-phone/tablet/laptop-free meal--sound familiar?

I don't find that most of my clients are lazy but unable to commit a block of time to one task at a time.  If your quest is to "get things done" try some single-focused attention.

1. Turn off your email, alerts, and silence your phone. 
2. Breathe.  
3. Choose a task from your To Do list.
4. Set a timer for 25 minutes. 
5. Work on that one task.  
6. If you complete your task before the time is up, choose another task and begin.
7. If the timer goes off before you are done, either: 
8. A. Set the timer for another 25 minutes, and continue or 
9. B. Set the timer for 5 minutes. Check and respond to email/texts/voicemail.
10. Celebrate each task completed by crossing it off your list, get-up and move around/stretch.
11. Start over at the top

This method works with personal tasks, as well as work tasks. It is long enough to actually get stuff done, and short enough that important emails/calls/texts can get addressed when the timer goes off.

When you dedicate a block of time to your tasks you set yourself up for success--things get done, self-esteem goes up, stress goes down. Win, win, win!

And don't forget: make sure that you and your goals/dreams are on your To Do list.  It is so easy to put everyone else first. If you aren't creating the life you have dreamed of--who is going to do it?  Break your goals down into little chunks, and start doing a bit everyday.  If not now, when?  

Why Not Thrive?