It can be very easy to become a busy fool. Getting caught up in other people’s deadlines or succumbing to the pressure imposed by a client or boss. Saying “no” or sticking to our guns seems harder and harder. Things can feel overwhelming or out of control.
When there’s big change on the horizon, this pressure can feel even greater. If it’s a project we’re involved in, we may have to do more work outside our day job. We may put pressure on ourselves to be more visible or work harder if roles are at risk. We may work in operational roles where ‘do it now’ is the norm and so change adds another layer to that.
It’s at that point we get on a downward spiral of making ourselves even busier fools.
Busy mode is a great place to be to avoid thinking about difficult stuff. It can be a good spot to be in when change can make things feel very uncomfortable, like job security for example. It’s much easier to get stuck in ‘doing’, focusing on tactics, making quick decisions that feel like results and ticking things off the list, rather than thinking about tricky stuff. Any concept of critical thinking like analysis or problem-solving is usually off the table too.
“It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in the activity trap, in the busyness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it’s leaning against the wrong wall”
This focus on ‘getting stuff done’ is often at the expense of thinking and that can cost time and money. I’ve seen reports rewritten several times over and what seem like very silly mistakes being made. Decisions that are made come back down the line for a revisit. Busyness also seems to be contagious so getting out of that spiral can feel like you’re swimming against the tide.
So, here are five ideas that might help you get out of busyness and into a thinking zone:
Break the cycle - it’s so easy to react to what’s going on around you and then quickly find yourself in busy fool mode. Take a breath, pause and think, “What’s in my control? What can I influence?” This may help.
Planning is king - to paraphrase Eisenhower, focus on the thinking of planning – that’s where the value lies. Put time in your diary for thinking. If you’ve never done it, start now. It’s a habit worth getting into. You need time to recover and think if you want to do your best work.
Stick to your boundaries - this can feel really hard, particularly when big change is happening. You feel like you should be busier and someone (often senior or a client) is asking you to do something RIGHT NOW! ASAP is not a deadline.
Ask for help - two heads are better than one. Working with someone else helps you to stay accountable and keep out of the busy trap. You can also support each other by sounding out ideas and testing thinking.
Speak up, push back - this is probably the one thing that demands the most bravery and where a buddy can really help too. Is this work so critical that it needs to be done right now? Be realistic about priorities – and by asking good questions, challenge your boss or client to be too. Is something really needed by ‘close of play on Friday’?
Being a busy fool can trap you in the short-term and the thinking that goes with that. The best thinking happens when we give our brains a rest (that’s a scientific fact) and you can’t get that if your priorities are all over the place.
This is something I’ve been working on for a while as I’ve spent a big chunk of my career in projects and operational roles where busyness has been a habit. So, if you’d like to move from busyness to thinking, I’d love to chat.