A couple of weeks ago, we talked about why to do lists don't work. Last week, we pulled an apparent about face, and gave some ideas about how to use a to do list effectively.
As we keep alluding to, it's quite easy to spend an entire day getting things done and when you get to the end of the day, you still don't feel like much happened. As much as you may have gotten done, you still have a giant stack of stuff that needs your attention. That can lead to burnout or a sense of overwhelm.
Less Is More
The challenge isn't so much about getting things done, as getting the right things done. What if the key to getting more done is to actually do less? This has proven to be one of great lessons, one that has helped many move from tired and burned out to feeling fully utilized and engaged.
What I mean by this version of double speak is that you may not feel very productive if you spend all day doing tasks that don't lead to much value. Think about your Symbols vs. Experience list or your Wheel of Life.
If these are the areas that have greatest meaning to you, and you spend day after day doing relatively meaningless things, it's no wonder you don't feel very productive or even burned out.
Most jobs seem filled with small, even inconsequential tasks. (Not all small tasks are inconsequential and we will explore that difference in some detail next week.) For now, we will carry on with the-end-of-the-day-lots-of-things-done-and-no-sense-of-accomplishment phenomenon. What's that all about?
It could be that the work you are doing just doesn't seem to relate to anything that matters. Now just because you don't see the relevance doesn't mean there isn't any. It just means you don't know.
Just as you have your personal goals and objectives, so too does your job or business have meaningful goals. If you aren't clear about your personal goals, you are likely to feel somewhere between drained and lethargic. The same thing applies to work related goals.
That's going to leave you feeling pretty empty. And, sooner or later, it will begin to sap your energy. And the more your energy is sapped, the less enthusiasm you will have for what's next, whether or not it's important.
And here comes burnout!
The Burnout Antidote
By getting a real handle on what's important to you both personally and professionally, you will undoubtedly discover that much of what you have been doing each day doesn't make that much difference...
Continue reading on The Huffington Post.
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