Getting Beyond Busy

 

Let me say this right out of the gate… I’ve used the “I’m so busy” excuse more times than I can remember.

 

I used to run around crying about how busy I was to anyone who would listen—and even a few times to those who wouldn’t!

 

But I started realizing that every time I’d say I was busy, I was tearing down my own self-confidence.

 

That’s right.

 

Every time I used the “I’m so busy” excuse, I felt less confident about my ability to get the job done.

 

Why?

 

Because deep down, I knew that being too busy is caused by the inability to prioritize.

 

Everytime I said I was too busy, or felt overwhelmed and taken over by my to-do list, I knew I was failing to prioritize my day properly, and this “over-busy” feeling is simply the RESULT, not the cause.

 

I realized that if I’m going to make it in this world, I need to set two very important rules in my life.

 

1- If you say YES to everything, you have no focus. You must learn to say NO to some things, even if that means losing the deal or passing it on to others.

 

And,

 

2 – Some things simply will not get done, so prioritize your day so that—at the very least—the most important things get done, and only the least important risk falling through the cracks.

 

Now, I do want to make something clear… I still say I’m very busy, but with purpose and intent, no longer as an excuse.

 

For example, if I’m working and someone tries to interrupt me that I really don’t feel like talking to at that moment, I’ll often interrupt them and say, “I’m sorry I’m just swamped at the moment and can’t talk.”

 

But as a personal excuse for lack of productivity… those days are gone.

 

I was getting addicted to saying, “I’m too busy,” as a cop-out for missing deadlines, for dropping balls, and often as a cover for the fact that I was struggling to get something done.

 

I challenge you to drop the “I’m too busy” and face the facts…

 

– You’re insecure about your ability to get the job done.

 

Or,

 

– You’re unfocused and disorganized.

 

Or,

 

– You suck at prioritizing and spend too much time posting inspirational quotes on Facebook with the caption “THIS” as a way to make yourself feel better without actually doing the work.

 

Or,

 

– You have no clue what’s important in your life and need to take some time to decide who you are, where you want to go, and what’s going to help you get there.

 

You’re not too busy, you’re simply not focused.

 

Stop being a shotgun, spraying your energy everywhere, and start being a sniper, zoning in on one powerful activity.

 

You are an incredible human being, immensely powerful beyond belief, but even the sun needs to be magnified to burn a piece of wood.

 

It’s time you focus, and GROW.

 

To your success,

 

Al