Being busy in your daily work routine is not a bad thing. In fact, some people thrive on ticking off that to do list! However, there is actually a big difference between being busy and feeling busy.
In the latest #CareerCounsel, we thought we’d list a few aspects of a general work day to show how feeling busy will throw you off course. Of course, we can’t predict what will happen throughout a day; an urgent task, an important email or a fire alarm that might mean we must divert from our stream of thought.
An effective to do list is a handy tool to ensure your day runs smoothly. The key is to plan ahead, perhaps writing your list before you leave work the evening before. What tasks are absolute priority? Is everything on the list realistically achievable in one day? If this is all planned out, working through these tasks won’t feel so stressful.
If you allow yourself to feel really busy and not sure how to fit everything in, you’ll be on a downward slope. Without fail, you will suddenly find yourself adding to your list when you probably don’t need to. Unless a sudden task is absolutely urgent, stick to your priorities.
Knowing what you’ve got to get done probably means you have your time assigned to each part of your day.
Of course, we can never say that each task in our jobs will definitely take a fixed amount of time, so always allow some leverage. If you begin to feel busy, you will very quickly start to rush through things. Even if you are ticking things off your list, you are being counterproductive because you are trying to get things done rather than trying to get them done right.
Remember those priorities we mentioned? Just because something is on the to do list today, it doesn’t mean it is high priority. If it does have to wait until later in the week, this doesn’t mean you have failed to have a productive day. At least you can say the tasks you have completed, have been completed well without stress.
Quite a few people are guilty of this one! If you feel overpowered by your work schedule, you’ll probably have a lacklustre break from the desk.
You should always schedule in a break time on your to do list, no matter how long it is. Your comfort and composure is a high priority, just like some of those tasks you must do. If you can acknowledge that down time is important, then you know that feeling busy will not help you at all when it comes down to getting things done.
There’s one thing that’s even worse than feeling too busy…feeling exhausted. Allow yourself to step away and your work output will thrive.
Once in a while, give your routine a refresh or a shakeup. Remember that you can always find time, so long as you know what to prioritise. Is there a conference that looks right up your street? Go along, learn new things, and don’t feel like you are too busy to embrace all aspects of your career.
Remember it’s absolutely fine to be busy…but never allow yourself to feel too busy or stressed. All focus and productivity will go out the window, even if you don’t see it!
Always feeling busy? Worried that you're not as productive as you could be? Our guest panda shares tips to help you boost happiness and productivity in just 10 days.