Busyness is not a virtue, nor is it a sign of productivity. If you are taking on too much, the truth is, you will focus on none of it and do a horrible job at what you manage to complete.
It’s always better to do less, yet do it correctly rather than to do many things with errors and omissions.
You Forget What You’re Doing
Have you ever started to do something and forgotten what it was you were doing right in the middle? This is a genuine problem for those who take on too much. You can’t focus on everything and do everything for everyone.
You Don’t Prioritize
If you have no idea what needs to happen first, you may do things repeatedly. For example, should you dust or vacuum first? Should you outline or research first? Understanding the processes that work best will help you prioritize your workload.
You’re Missing Deadlines
If you’re working all the time, but you’re not getting anything done, it’s simple. You’re doing too much. People think the so-called 40-hour workweek is a good example of how long people should work a job, but the truth is, that the 40-hour workweek was designed with the idea that someone was home taking care of the household business.
You’re Not Managing Your Time
If you keep a calendar and nothing happens as scheduled, you’re not constructively managing your time. One way you can help yourself is to learn more about choosing your time, purposefully. You are given the same number of hours as the next person, so it must be about conscious intent to get the most from it.
You Feel Anxious and Stressed
When you aren’t having enough downtime to rest and can’t take care of your human needs like eating, exercising, loving, and so forth, you’re not going to have a happy life. So, if you feel stressed out, consider whether your schedule includes all parts of you that should be included or not.
You Get to Bed Late and Can’t Sleep
It’s hard if not impossible with your current lifestyle to get to bed at a good hour to ensure a minimum healthy 7 hours of sleep if you’re doing too much. The problem is made worse when you do manage to get in bed and your mind is so full of stress that you can’t sleep.
You Miss Opportunities
Because you are so all over the place doing a little of this and a little of that, you aren’t ready when opportunities seem to come right to you. You don’t have a down payment. You can’t buy that laptop on sale. You are too tired to go to that sale at the mall.
You Pay Late Fees
When you’re too distracted due to having too much on your plate, it’s not unusual to end up messing up your finances too by having to pay late fees.
If you are doing any of this, you are not a bad person. In fact, you’re just doing what society has taught you to do, or at least presented to you that successful people are doing. Nothing is further from the truth, though.
Smart, successful people focus on doing fewer things well to build a balanced, high-quality life. They make proficiency and efficacy a priority over appearing busy and doing more.
