A lot of times we’ve got a lot to get done. But we are approaching it all wrong. There are tasks, skills, and activities we love to do. Instead of forcing things it will save us time to follow the natural flow and do those things we enjoy first.
Ok, you might be thinking “What the heck is she talking about”? Let me share some examples with you to make this somewhat abstract concept more clear.
Each week I make a “to-do” list. In fact most days I make a list. As a nurse, I am sure you do it too. I used to start each shift going through my patient orders. I would take that and what I received in report and formulate a list for each patient. So the concept of making a “to-do” list is something we all can understand.
Let’s take this “to-do” list and move it to life. You may have a list regarding household chores and tasks. You might make a list when going to the store. You’ve got tons of lists going at any one time. For the sake of this article, let’s just call to mind our household “list”.
Now there are things on that list that you like. There are things on that list that are probably neutral- you could take them or leave them. And then, I bet, there are things on that list that you absolutely cannot stand doing. Let me share with you a quick example to illustrate my point:
- Like to do: cooking, dog walking, gardening, meal planning/shopping/prep
- Neutral: laundry, dishes, organizing a room
- Cannot stand doing, absolutely dislike: vacuuming, dusting, cleaning floors, cleaning bathrooms
(Can you tell who cleans in my house? Wink, wink. I am very blessed to have a husband who is good at and doesn’t seem to mind to clean… at least that is what I am thinking because I just don’t do it, ha ha). No really, this leads me to my next point…
We have a list of all of the “things” we have to do. Some of them we enjoy; some we don’t. What will help us save time– because it is all about energy, which I will explain in a moment- is to do the things we enjoy first. Do the things we feel neutral towards next. And then leave off, delegate, pay, or do last (but really, you don’t do them) the things you absolutely cannot stand.
Because what happens? And here is where our energy comes into play… when we have something we really dislike doing, what do we do? We procrastinate. We avoid it. We put it off. Guess what… we waste our time! It is an absolute waste of time to try to do the things we cannot stand doing.
When we do the things we love to do, the things we enjoy, first- wow, we blow through them! Time seems to stand still or we lose track of time. We could spend all day and all of our time doing them. It’s because of what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi outlines in his book Flow.
His theory is that people are happiest when they are in a state of flow— a state of concentration or complete absorption with the activity at hand and the situation. In this state people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter.
Doing things we enjoy is easy. Even when it comes to chores, household tasks, or work. However, forcing ourselves to do things- the things we cannot stand- takes energy, effort, and therefore time.
So if you are feeling as if you don’t have time for yourself, take a look at your activities. How often are you enjoying yourself? When are you doing things you can’t stand? Are there things you can let go of and delegate out to others?
I know one day I will have my own driver. I absolutely cannot stand to drive. Earlier in this month in another post I shared that I recently moved, adding about 45 minutes to my commute. How great will it be when one day I can call upon my driver to take me here and there? I will have more time to do the things I want to do when someone else is driving my car!
What things can you farm out? How can you save yourself time by getting rid of the things you cannot stand to do?
This is a great opportunity to work on those delegation skills. From a business standpoint I delegate certain tasks that would either take me longer to perform or that I just do not have any interest in completing because it would just be an “energy suck.” Of course don’t get me wrong, I’m not above scrubbing a toilet in my household.
Looking at it in a dollars and cents point of view as an entrepreneur, I break everything down into a billable hour. Where am I best utilized in my company from a revenue standpoint? What tasks need to be delegated so that I’m free to continue serving my clientele, and generating income for my business?
Kevin,
Great to hear from you! Thanks for the comment. I absolutely agree with you and love your insights and additions to this post. And especially for the busy nurse who is nervous or worried to delegate to the unlicensed professional… this is a great case for getting comfortable with asking for help! It saves you time on the tasks that are important and must get done by you, the nurse! I have also heard the same thought process you bring to the entrepreneur-discussion from my business coach. She always teaches us to look at each task with a “Is it making me money or does it have the potential to make me money” standpoint! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your words of wisdom!!
Elizabeth
I don’t have an assistant nor can I bill for my “services.” I make lists, lists, lists! I live for lists! Without them I couldn’t and wouldn’t get anything done. There are lists on my nightstand, my steering wheel, my purse, upstairs, downstairs, on the phone and at my work station. I can delegate a few of my items to my dear husband when he’s not doing anything or when I’m sleeping after working all night. A very few can be delegated to an unlicensed co-worker but the vast majority I must do myself. For the most part I make my lists starting with the most difficult to the easiest so that by the time I get to the end of the list, I feel happy and like I have accomplished something! By the time I get to the end of the list, another has started and the process begins all over again…..
Sometimes I have two lists going at once. Now that’s a challenge but not out of the realm of possibiltiy! It’s do-able as long as I have my act together and am on course in my multi-tasking, which I am also very well known for! I have been told that multi-tasking is my forte although it drives my husband crazy! He likes my full attention. Hmmmm, maybe that is something I can work on…..
Thanks Marti, for your comments on this post! I agree with your feelings- when I accomplish things on my list, it makes me feel good. That is one of the reasons why it is important to make very specific and measurable goals. We need to be able to evaluate our success, feel good when we accomplish, and build up our self-efficacy. Thanks for your thoughts on delegation, list making, and asking for help from loved ones! This is a challenging topic for us as nurses, but one we always must remember- there is help available to us! All we have to do is ask.
Have a healthy day,
Elizabeth