This week I’ve caught myself saying, “there aren’t enough hours in the day,” a lot. Perhaps it’s the bank-holiday-inset-day combo that comes around in May? But this mantra is not unique to May. I say it so often, I don’t even notice I’m doing it.
As insight professionals with a growing management and leadership remit, the pressures on our time can feel overwhelming. A default and very understandable reaction is to blame time.
But does this serve us? Or is it holding us back?
THINK about how honest you are being about your relationship with time
Like with many habits, because they are so ubiquitous, we’ve stopped questioning them.
When we say “I don’t have time to do x,” what we are really saying is: “I don’t want to do x” or “I am prioritising x over y.”
Recognising this distinction is a key step to re-thinking our relationship with time.
Blaming time makes us FEEL out of control
When we blame time, we are placing responsibility on something “out there,” something that is happening to us that we don’t control.
The trouble with this framing is that it has us at the mercy of time, and when we are at the mercy of something, we feel helpless, which creates feelings of stress and anxiety.
We can never conjure up more time, but we can shift our attention to how we spend and experience the time we do have. This is something we have far more agency over.
take ownership of time, and it will stop owning you
PRIORITISE RUTHLESSLY:
Before becoming a leader or manager, how did you prioritise?
What is it you want to achieve?
What are you willing to sacrifice to get there?
BE MORE TAO:
By following this Taoist doctrine:
There is so much to do
And so little time
We must go slowly
SHIFT YOUR LANGUAGE:
What disempowering language do you use around time? And what could you use instead?
Want support for yourself or your team as you or they grow into a management or leadership role? I run 121 and group leadership coaching programmes. To find out more, book a chat: zoe@youburnbright.com
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