Do You Wear Your Busyness as a Badge of Honour?
Are you busy? If you answer it Yes, without much of thinking, maybe you are not. With the advances in technology, businesses are trying to do more with less. Technology also allows business owners to be connected 24/7, even when at home.
Those days don’t exist when we left our work at the office and resumed the other day. Emails have taken away that privilege. Emergency meeting? There is Skype. Get online. And there always is the good old phone call way – call conferencing.
Often, entrepreneurs put their personal life on hold while building their business. In the name of deadlines, they work till late, read emails late at night, and there is no such thing as 9-to-5 working hours. For some, there even are no weekends. And often, this busyness is regarded as a badge of honour.
But that’s not all, some choose to be busy or feel themselves as busy. Self worth is attached to how many hours they slogged at work.
“Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness.”
– Tim Kreider
So, how can an entrepreneur get less busy, while at the same time, achieving their business objectives?
Put technology aside
Log out of your email and messenger apps and stop yourself from checking on them every few minutes. Check them only 3-4 times a day and have a designated time for replying to emails. Moreover, don’t sleep with your phone. Keep it out of your bedroom if possible.
Set boundaries
You can’t be and do everything for everyone. There are people on your team who can handle part of your job. Take a look at your organisation, see what responsibilities someone can take and then, re-define their roles. It doesn’t mean you dump all your work on them but also, don’t underestimate their potential. Trust them!
Learn to say NO. Learn to negotiate deadlines with clients. And take on tasks which only you need to do.
Take breaks
Taking breaks even for a few minutes every hour can refresh you. Life will always be busy, so make time for yourself. You can try the 50-minute rule. Cut yourself from calls and visits for 50-minute and immerse yourself in work. And then a 10-min break before you set to work again.
Self-care
The last but not the least, get a nature walk or enjoy a coffee at the nearby café. Do something which you love, every day.
Being busy doesn’t mean being productive, and once you manage your time, you’ll be surprised how well your business thrives.