You Don’t Need to Manage Your Time Better

I wish I could be cloned. If there were two or even three of me, I could finish everything I needed to do. 

I’ve said this. Have you? 

If you are feeling overwhelmed with too much on your plate, the common thinking is that you have a TIME problem. 

On one hand, that makes sense. If you had an extra few hours to work, you’d get more done. But this is a short-term solution. 

When you think you have a time problem, you’re constantly finding, borrowing, or stealing more time.

You- 

• Work extra hard on a big project, convincing yourself this is just a busier time than usual and you just need to grind it out. Meanwhile, a few days or weeks later, you’re back in the same boat. 

• Sacrifice sleep by getting up extra early or working after the kids are in bed. 

• Convince yourself that if you’re checking email while watching TV, you’re not really working. 

• Multitask by taking client and team calls in the car on your way to dropping the kids off at practice or folding clothes while off camera on a conference call. 

Finding more time doesn’t reduce your overwhelm in the long term. 

A part of you knows you’re working at an unsustainable pace. But there may be a good chance you don’t know how to slow down and work differently. 

What you have is an EXPECTATION problem. The good news is you can’t change time, but you can change expectations. 

I empathize. I’ve been there. And I want to offer you some firm but friendly reminders that will help you slow down enough so you can step off the gerbil wheel. 

• Reflect on the expectations you have for yourself. Do you need to be the one who does it all and does it all perfectly? If so, there isn’t enough time that will help you meet the expectations of perfection. 

• Are you sacrificing your wellness and sanity? If so, there will come a time when you’ll have nothing left to give. 

• Your work, family and life aren’t healthy unless you’re healthy. 

• What are you saying yes to? For every yes, you’re saying no to something else. 

• Prioritizing yourself isn’t selfish, it’s essential. 

• Your value doesn’t come from what you produce. 

• We can never get time back. Be intentional and diligent about how you want to use the time you have. 

Would you like coaching support stepping off this gerbil wheel? Book a coffee chat with me and we will explore if we are a good fit.

When You Can’t Focus

"I've got so much going on. When I have time to get something done, I can't focus."

When I’m feeling this way, you’ll find me scrolling my IG feed. I’ll start watching cat or baby videos or better yet, football hype reels. Or, I’ll mindlessly window shop. 

I get how frustrating this is. You think that if you could be more productive, you’d feel less overwhelmed. You want to work your way out of it, check a few things off your to-do list and feel a sense of accomplishment. 

But you don’t seem to have the bandwidth or energy to focus. What’s going on? 

There is a good chance you're fried. It’s an odd way to describe it, but when our nervous system is working overtime, our circuits go haywire. 

• Are you jumpy and get startled easily? 

• Is it hard to fall or stay asleep? 

• Have you lost your patience and do you lose your temper easily? 

• Does everything, even the small things, feel like a big deal?

These are signs that you need to hit the reset button. 

Working harder won’t help you through the overwhelm (at least in a sustainable way). I know. I said it again. You need to tend to yourself.  

The more you have on your plate, the more downtime you need.  

Giving yourself some space in your day will be worth it. Take time for lunch away from your computer. Go for a short walk. Take 5 minutes and step outside with a cup of tea. 

You can’t be your most creative self if you're feeling depleted. 

Consider some bigger questions... 

• Are you expecting yourself to be all things to all people? 

• Do you have reasonable and sustainable expectations for yourself?  

• Are you able to set boundaries to protect your energy? 

Your struggle with focusing isn’t the real problem, it’s a symptom. As you navigate through this, you’ll see that there is a large part of you that’s asking for more support and a mindset change. 

If you’d like to partner with me to help you through this, set up a time with me to chat.