Having a busy schedule may result in accomplishing a great deal but at what performance level are we really getting things done?
One of my co-workers once told me “the day you get caught up, is the day we have a problem.” I see the logic behind the statement, but as time has gone by, I realize more and more that it is not necessarily the quantity but the quality of work that really matters.
I will admit that I have focused on the quantity more than the quality and in hindsight, can see how doing too much can result in a compromised product. The first thing that has been sacrificed through this “more, faster mentality is the ability to take a break.
It might be as little as actually taking a one hour lunch break or as much as taking a week off with no agenda. Committing to do this can help us in many ways. Here are 7 things that we need to focus on to be high performers:
1. BALANCE
My wife Michelle, often makes the statement that “the key to life is balance.” I may not have had a very good track record of living this, but I definitely believe it. In order to live a complete enjoyable life, there must be balance.
2. CHANGE
When going through a major change in your life, it will be highly beneficial to take a break and spend some time focused on what is going on. Business, personal, health relational, it doesn’t matter. Any change is challenging and it is important to prepare for it.
3. FOCUS
We all know how hard it is to focus at times. Multi-tasking, once thought to be a real accomplishment, has actually brought a lot of criticism lately in that it decreases our ability to focus on the task at hand. If you are feeling overwhelmed with too much to do, take a break and refocus on your priorities and start knocking them off one at a time.
4. HEALTH
This is the big one. Without your health, and I mean not only physical, but emotional, mental and relational as well. Taking a break allows us to recharge. No one can go 100% all of the time. It’s crucial to eat right, exercise on a consistent basis and get enough rest. How well are you doing these? I’ll admit that I need to improve on all of them.
5. PRIORITIES
There is no better way to review and adjust your priority list that to take a break. Clear your mind of everything else and go through your list prioritizing from top to bottom. Trying to do this on the fly just doesn’t work. On of my co-workers does an incredible job doing this using Microsoft Outlook and the value of her commitment to it is extremely evident.
6. RELATIONSHIPS
Right there with health, our relationships will typically represent are overall quality of life. Michelle and I are going to spend a week together at the beach in December. This will be the first time in a long time that we will have an extended break with no other family or friends. This is way overdue and much anticipated by both of us as a way to recharge on many levels.
7. VISION
Where do you want to be in 5 years? My guess is you probably haven’t thought about it recently and maybe not at all. Take a break and give some thought to your long term objectives and goals. Write them down and put them somewhere you can see them on a daily basis.
The bottom line, if you are not willing to invest in yourself by taking a break to recharge and refocus then you done value the investment much. I know your busy – we all are, but if you want a return on the investment, you have to make the investment.
Make an investment in yourself today and schedule a break to get re-energized.
***********************************************************************
Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page.
Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page
Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 9/21/12 photo by author
