The challenges we face are often superficial. We make them up. When we do this and it deflects us from the truly important things in our lives, there is a mismatch.
Most of the clients I work with are time-challenged. They come with frustrations around the demands on their time and this causes frustrations and inefficiencies in the results they strive for. They spend too much time focusing on perceived crises and too little time on what really is important, which is making sure those crises stop – or someone else deals with them.
To help sort this out, we discuss what their purpose is in their work. We consider carefully what they are doing with their time and how much of that can be freed by doing less of some things – often self-inflicted and often the agenda of others. We find out together just what they are holding onto that others could do just as well – and often better – and why that is. we find out how being nice to their people can be very detrimental to their own performance and damage to contributions of others in their team.
And, funnily enough, for the vast majority of people, whatever their role, when they actually get down to where they personally add best value and let go of the rest – sometimes slowly, to build their confidence, sometimes really, really quickly (that’s how easy it is sometimes) – they begin to thrive.
They begin to smile more. Their days become more relaxed. They become more effective in what they do and their life has more space for balance.
Covey talks a lot about balance in ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’, Habit 7. But only when you have the other habits in play can you get true balance.
Letting go of what you don’t need to get involved in is a great step. Spending time where you enable; realise and encourage the value others can bring to your team or business is fulfilling and value-creating.
And, you get to eat dinner with your kids every night.
