Happy NO-vember!
Can you believe we’re already here? How time flies.
Speaking of time, have you ever considered that you need to improve your time management?
If so, I’m here to tell you that you don’t.
Time cannot really be managed. It’s a finite resource (at least in this dimension). You can invest it perhaps. You can also set priorities for yourself, allocate and execute accordingly.
But manage time? I don’t think so.
When you teach a busy person how to organise themselves more effectively to create more spare time, what you generally find is that it goes really well for a short while. And then they take on more things because they have more space in their agenda and return to the same challenge they had to start with.
Not enough spare time.
The only real way to create a little more structural ease in the life of someone who is excessively busy and trying to slow down is to get to the heart of the challenge.
Don’t ask:
“How can I manage my time better?”
Ask:
“Why am I doing the things that I am doing?”
Then ask:
“Why am I really doing the things that I am doing?”
Is it possible that there is something driving you to keep busy? Maybe it’s avoiding your own thoughts that creep up whenever you stop moving. Or, maybe keeping busy helps you feel relevant to those around you through meaningful contribution.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Maybe it's something else.
I’m not here to give you the answers, I am here to ask you the questions so that you can find the answers inside of you. If you’re a busy person, I want to invite you to join me in the NO-vember challenge. It’s pretty self-explanatory. It’s about getting better at saying “NO” during November.
Each time someone requests something extra of you this month, say no.
It could be a hard “NO!”
It could be an “I’m going to say no for now, but I will come back to you tomorrow if I change my mind after sleeping on it.”
It could be “That sounds great, however the timing is not going to work for me this time. Please keep me in mind for next time.”
If you’re constantly racing against time, perhaps it’s “time” (pardon the pun) to turn being a YES-person on its head for a few weeks and just see what happens.
Maybe it could be fun!
Maybe it will throw you into complete chaos.
Maybe you’ll learn to be a better negotiator.
Maybe you'll realise you really just do need to prioritise better.
Whatever the case, I think you’ll learn something about yourself.
So with that, are you in?
Wishing you peace, power and possibility.
Warmly,
P.S. If on the moment you receive a request it’s a complete HECK YES and not an ounce of doubt lives in your body, go ahead and say yes (free hotel room upgrade anyone?). But if you have to pause to ask yourself if it fits in that category, it probably doesn’t.
_______________________
How can I help?
Are you looking for personal support as you go through a life transition, plan for something new, or decide once and for all to change the relationship you have with yourself? Apply for a Power Hour session where we can explore the possibilities of working together. This is brave work, would prioritising this feel like a HECK YES or shall we wait until NO-vember is over...?
Are we connected on LinkedIn? I share content almost daily during the week and open some really interesting conversations with my community, so I'd love to invite you to join in there.
Did you miss my men's only masterclass on stress management? Interested? We had such a great time with the last one and the responses have been positive, so I'd love to run it again! Let me know by reply email and I'll keep you updated for the next one.
Comments