Is it time to take back control?
How to feel more in control
Break the stimulus -response cycle, think before you react. By changing your response you change your emotions.
Busy people think they can get things done by working ever harder. We have been led to believe that we can control or manage time, and by downloading the latest “app” you can manage your life thus allowing you complete all your outstanding activities.
But despite your best efforts you can’t control what’s coming at you or indeed the pace at which it hits you. Well, surprise surprise, you are not a failure and you are just like everyone else so what can you do in this busy world.
So now you will need to make some decisions:
- What do you control and what controls you?
- Divide a page into 2 columns – Controllable and Uncontrollable
- When you have completed both columns, identify whether each item is an internal (your goals) or external driver’s (someone else’s goal).
If most of your activities emanate from an external source then chances are you are not in control of what you do and will feel like you are getting nothing done. It’s worth noting that this situation is often used to hide from the decisions you should be taking as a business owner.
It makes you busy in your work and we all know that being busy is a” badge of honour” in today’s business world. Unfortunately this exemplifies the mantra of “working in the business not on the business”.
- Focus on what is important to you and your business, delegate external drivers as much as possible.
- Research tells us we are not particularly good at “multi-tasking” so do important things one at a time.
- Decide to spend the majority of your time on your internal items, it will contribute enormously to your sense of achievement satisfaction.
Paul Doyle
Ology Business Coaching