Do you view Multi-Tasking as a good thing? Do you think that if you don’t do it all, it won’t get done correctly? Worse yet, it won’t get done at all? If you say “yes” to one or all questions, let me tell you that you are not only hurting your business, you are also putting your physical and mental health at risk, and your usual peak performance will diminish.
Consider:
• What causes you to multi-task, almost obsessively?
Possibilities:
• Need to control.
• Need to be in many places at the same time.
• Nobody cares as much as you do to get things done.
• Need for perfection, because no one does it:
a) Better than you.
b) Faster than you.
c) Prettier than you.
Illusional Benefits of a “Do-It-All”:
• Saving Time.
• Saving Money.
• Keeping things on track and “perfect”.
• By being in control at all times, nothing can go wrong.
Real Consequences:
• Distractions.
• Lack of Focus.
• Incomplete projects.
• Mistakes.
• Forgetting what’s truly important.
• Not enough Self-Care.
• Putting yourself last.
• Time and Money seem to elude you.
• You begin to feel tired.
• You begin to feel sick and tired of being tired.
• Unexpected financial costs begin to creep-up
• Suddenly, you are not working on your business; instead, you’re spending a lot of hours working IN it.
• You are not engaged in your personal growth.
• Your self-esteem takes a hit.
• You begin to question your self-worth.
Processes:
• Create a one-page list of what you would like to see happen; one page for your business, and one page for your personal life.
• Create a Profit and Loss statement of what activities are working for you and which ones are not. Yes, you must identify the “energy” leak in all aspects of your life.
• Create a new Vision statement, both business and personal; and revisit your mission statements. Do they still hold true today? If not, re-write them.
• Check your list of Personal and Professional Values. If you don’t have one, create them! This is very important.
Solutions:
The following action steps will help you take back your life, even in a “good”, multi-tasking way, where the “Do-It-All” in you, can take a much deserved rest.
• Take time to analyze and evaluate what each list is telling you.
• Identify the areas where you have energy leaks, and they are:
a) Physical
b) Mental
c) Financial
d) Emotional
e) Spiritual
• Understand what’s working and not working.
• Hire a mentor or professional coach to help you plan to take action and make changes accordingly with what’s working and what is not.
• Focus on activities that are revenue generating.
• Work with your list of values. It is the foundation for identifying your ideal client. It is also the foundation for identifying the people you need in your life to help you succeed; both professionally and personally.
• Find a pool of Virtual Specialists or on-site professional assistants to help you in the different aspects of your business.
• Learn to let go and delegate.
• Once you delegate, it becomes leverage.
• Build your “trust” factor in others, as others will on you.
• Soon you will find more time to do the things you really enjoy.
• Put the FUN back in what you’re doing.
• Re-kindle the passion.
• Begin to do what you love.
• The results of your efforts is an image of who you are and what you do, so your inner work is as important if not more, than your outer work.
• And always remember a very simple rule: “When you grow, your business grows.”
In closing, go do what you do best, and let the others do the rest. You can still multi-task without having to be a “Do-It-All”.
Re-claim your self-confidence, assertiveness, assurance and self-worth, and let your brilliance shine.