Some days, the world comes at me with dizzying speed and it’s hard to keep up. I have a few choices:
- Check out
- Disengage
- Attack the problems
- Hand off
I don’t necessarily like being out of control, but I come to expect it as part of playing in the information age. Work gets pushed on me just as I push work on others. Every communication requiring a response is work. It takes thinking, effort and moving the ball forward.
While it may be tempting to check out, I can’t. Too many years of built-up habits and my own need to keep the conversations moving are part of my DNA.
I like to make lists of what I need to get done intentionally and create urgency within a time frame. I like to also push to the next step. Input or help from others is often required. This means doing the hard work of clarifying requirements, communications and decision frameworks to make it easy to get an input or action.
I think we are mainly tired because we are asked to think all the time. We have to continually work to get clarity within the ambiguity. When you have a lot of choices, try doing this one thing – decide. Make a decision in fifteen seconds and go with that for every item. It clears the decks quickly, and your gut is usually right. It creates immense freedom.
You won’t get every decision right, but you are developing the habit of decision making, which I find lacking in the world to a large extent. It’s a key differentiator for those that are driving new opportunities and getting things done.
Every day is a new and exciting day. Don’t bottleneck yourself by procrastinating. Do the mental work with conviction. Let me know how it goes for you in the coming week.