Time is what we want most, and what we use worst.
– William Penn
We all have the same 24 hours in the day and we all use them completely differently. In our society, we glorify the word busy and even use it as a badge of honor.
Over the last year, things at Clearbridge have grown—quickly. We have taken on a wider scope of work and grown our team. It is very easy to fall into the trap of saying we are busy, slammed, overloaded, etc. That said, there are many reasons why I believe we should stop using the word busy; possibly the most important being that it disempowers us.
Succumbing to the ‘I’m too busy!’ habit actually puts us in a position to pass off accountability. It paints a picture of every single thing being on our plate without our approval with us scrambling to complete it, when in fact that is typically not the case at all.
There are many reasons why I believe we should stop using the word busy; possibly the most important being that it disempowers us.
This isn’t to say we should never be allowed to notice that we have many tasks to complete. However, how we manage our time and set our priorities is completely up to us. Each of us is driving our own theoretical bus, and we have many tools at our disposal to help us succeed.
Below are some of my favorite tools to help empower you to manage your time!
BULLET JOURNAL: For all the list makers out there, this is a game-changer. If you need a refresher check this video out.
TIME AUDIT LOG: A few people on our team have used this tool and seen incredible progress in managing their time. It gives you a great view of how you are actually spending your time and helps you understand how you can shift for maximum productivity. (Find a Time Audit Log Here )
POWER HOURS: This is another tool that has started to circulate around the office. Power Hours gives people the opportunity to switch into focus mode on Basecamp, jump into a meeting room and work completely uninterrupted.
Power Hours gives people the opportunity to switch into focus mode.
LANGUAGE: This one is definitely a challenge, but choosing your language each and every day can have a tremendously positive impact on your life. Being mindful of what you actually mean when you say you are “busy” is a great place to start. Personally, when I find myself saying I am busy, it is almost always because I don’t want to actually say how I am feeling (overwhelmed, underprepared, not supported, etc).
Every day, you have the opportunity to do great work, and great work starts with a great mindset. Choosing to “drive your own bus” can be the most impactful change you make!
Want to become part of our team? Check out our job openings HERE. Our office is located in historic Downtown Abbotsford, BC, but our HQ is virtual!
