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Piled High

The other day, I saw a memorable phone commercial. No, it wasn't the old "Did you say ten cents a minute, dude?" commercial. It wasn't the "and they tell two friends" commercial, either. Nope, this one was a new one from Sprint promoting how they've moved up their off-peak time or something. To be honest, I can't remember the point of the commercial, but one line from it stuck with me.

This particular commercial claimed that the average person will spend 2 weeks tying his or her shoes over the course of a lifetime. Wow. Before you relegate that pseudo-stat to some piece of useless trivia, think about it for a moment. Does it seem about right? I mean, how long does it take to tie your shoes? 30 seconds? Oh, you're a double-knotsie type? 35 seconds? Multiply that times 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, and 80 plus years and you can see how it adds up.

All this isn't to say that I'm going to go barefoot. (Not in this lifetime - too ticklish.) But, I did realize that my life has started to show some of the same accumulation effects. I don't know about you, but I find that my days are crammed with a patchwork of micro-tasks. Taken alone, each "to do" usually takes less than an hour. Many take less than 2 minutes. (Just ask my wife.) But taken together, my cup runneth over and I find myself pressed for time. (And comfort.)

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how we need to be conscious with our time and where it goes. (GGW #131) Since then, I've become more attuned to just how much of a big impact those little things in life can be. As I look around, it seems everyone is in the same boat. It seems everyone is rushing off to the next meeting, soccer practice, or errand. Everyone just seems frazzled these days.

If you've started to feel like you're getting squeezed, try the following:

1. Jot 'em down. Make a quick note of all things - great and small - that are competing for your time and attention. You've got to see what you're up against if you're going to get on top of the challenge.
2. Get 'em straight. You've got to think hard about where each task falls against your master plan. They may all feel like "A" priorities, but they just can't "B". (Get it? Man, that was a good one.)
3. Count 'em up. Here's the tricky part - be honest with yourself and see how the sum of all of these tasks and activities fits against your schedule and sanity. If the number is still too large to manage, you'll have to go back to Step 2.

When you look back at your list, you'll find that opportunities exist to "work smarter not harder". It's likely that with focus and consideration, you can make better choices and increase your success and satisfaction along the way. As each item pops into your head, ask yourself "Is this really the best use of my precious time?" You'll face some tough choices, but you can make the right ones and get ahead.

We purge our closets, our desks, and our junk drawers - sometimes we need to purge our calendars and to do lists, as well. In the end, less can be more. Overloading our proverbial plates may choke out our chances of meaningful success in the long run. I have to admit that I struggle mightily with this one. There's a lot I want to accomplish in my life, and I hate to say "no". (Just ask my wife.) I often convince myself that the next task "will just take a minute" or "it's not a big deal, I can just wake up at 4:00 AM and do it".

The truth is that when I'm staring optimistically at a daunting pile of tasks, I'm only fooling myself. I can't manage to do 1,000 micro-tasks. That add up to "overwhelming". No one can.

In the end, two weeks is a long time to spend on a seemingly menial, trivial task like tying your shoes. I think it provides a good wake-up call that all of the little things we add to our lists count. If we're not careful, they can be too much and can hurt our chances of success in the long run.

Having said that, I'm afraid I've just added one more "to do" to the pile: "Buy slip-on loafers."

Coaching Quickie: Piled High

Check back next week for results!

Last Week's Results

Coaching Quickie: Know How?
How many steps in the THRIVE! Step Plan have you mastered in your life?

(17%) All five, baby - If I were an ice cream flavor, I'd be THRIVE!-a-licious.
(33%) Three or four - I'm doing well with a few more things left to work on.
(50%) One or two - I'm just getting started on the road to success.
(00%) Zero - I'm off course, and I'm hoping for a stroke of luck or inspiration.