Monday Motivation: Beware of Busy Work
This hypothetical is, of course, an exaggeration but to some, it’s a variation of what their work day is like. You come into work and the moment you set foot in the door you lose all control of what you are going to work on.So what to do when you are in this wheel of unproductive busyness? The first thing to do is to recognize that it’s happening. Sounds simple but sometimes being in the middle of all the work we don’t realize what is really going on. You know you are always busy but the effort you put in our day doesn’t match your accomplishments. When you get a moment to yourself usually while sitting in traffic on your way home you end up feeling frustrated how nothing was done.
So what to do when you are in this wheel of unproductive busyness? The first thing to do is to recognize that it’s happening. Sounds simple but sometimes being in the middle of all the work you don’t realize what is really going on. You are always busy but the effort you put in our day doesn’t match your accomplishments. When you get a moment to yourself usually while sitting in traffic on your way home you end up feeling frustrated how nothing was done.
There is a word to describe being in the moment – mindfulness. Once you recognize you are getting pulled to do busy work, take a few seconds to pause and take a deep breath. Stopping even for a few seconds allows yourself to think of what to do next rather than be in automatic mode. This doesn’t mean you are not going to help whoever is asking for your help. It is letting yourself make decisions in a calmer way.
It’s Monday morning and you have your whole day planned. You will come in, turn on your computer, get some coffee and maybe sneak in a donut while you are at it. You will go back to your desk and have your coffee as you go through your email. After responding to your emails you will work on your to-do list. You have your to-do list and you are determined to follow it. However, as soon as you set foot in the door you are called to an emergency. Not a real emergency like in those TV shows but the kind where maybe a boss or a co-worker is freaking out about something. You get to your station just long enough to dump your stuff and turn on the computer. Before long you are working on something at the same time wondering in your head “what the $#$% is going on”?!? Your Monday just got hijacked right before you. You are doing someone’s busy work and you feel exhausted and it’s not even noon yet. Worst, you end the day accomplishing nothing and being annoyed.
