“Looks like I don’t have enough time to do everything!” is a common refrain I hear from my clients. To tell the truth, I have also muttered it several times to myself! In a world where information, resources, and tools are available at your fingertips, it can be challenging to walk that fine line between being productive and being burned out.
A friend of mine I spoke to told me that she was struggling to decide whether to accept a new opportunity in her business and “I’m not sure I have the psychic bandwidth right now to really take that on.” I loved that phrase, because our brains work like computers. Let me share some good computer maintenance strategies that we can apply that can help us be clearer, more productive, and less overwhelmed.
Step 1. “Defrag your brain” regularly
I loved the phrase “defragment your brain” that I heard from innovator and thought leader Andrea Lee. She points out that most of us are more used to cleaning out the lint drawer in our dryers than the “lint” that can accumulate on our minds.
The word “defragmentation” comes from the defragmentation process that computers regularly undergo as a means of freeing up unused space in their memory. Over time, data is stored on the computer in ways that are not efficient, and many spaces appear between files. The data becomes fragmented, which slows down the speed of the computer.
Advice: Set aside regular times to “defragment your brain.” Beyond an annual year-end hotfix, I recommend setting aside at least once a quarter for large defrag/hotfix sessions, as well as shorter monthly sessions to keep up. Block your next defragmentation session on your calendar before the end of today.
Step 2. What do I do “No”?
We all know that when you run too many programs on your computer, the speed slows down. To get back to peak efficiency, you need to find those unnecessary programs and turn them off.
A great question I learned from Andrea is “What do I do with ‘No’?” Even with the best prioritization, organization, and time management systems in the world, we can’t do everything, at least not all at once. If you say yes to everything, you end up spreading your energy and focus. Not only are you spreading yourself, but you won’t be able to create the results you want.
Advice: To help defragment your brain, ask yourself what you need to say “No” to. What is on your plate that you know in your heart is not your highest priority or an expression of your life purpose? If you feel a lukewarm response, that really means “No” or “No, not now.”
Step 3. Know when to call technical support
Einstein was absolutely right when he said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If you find yourself persistently in a pattern of procrastination, indecisiveness, or being overwhelmed, you may have caught a mental virus at some point! Somewhere in your subconscious programming there is a subroutine running in the background that needs to be killed or simply updated to support the next best version of you. Instead of continuing on your own, you can often save time, money, and heartache by calling in a coach or someone with specialized expertise who can help you break the pattern. This way you get clarity, confidence and results much faster!
Advice: See if you feel stuck in a loop where your productivity seems to drop regularly. If steps 1 and 2 don’t produce results, seek the support of another person for perspective and guidance. Working with a coach, finding an accountability partner, or joining a think tank are all great ways to overcome stubborn, persistent productivity and focus droughts!
