Underrated Actions, Time Management & Why You Should Do Less
Hello my friend.
Welcome back.
I’m in Ireland this week for my best mate’s wedding.
There are few things better in life than celebrating something so significant with someone so significant.
Good fiends can be massively underrated in my eyes. The value they create in our life goes far beyond what we realise.
We could lean on them more. We could let them lean on us more.
Anyway more about friends another time. But well worth keeping in mind.
Talking of things overrated (and underrated)…
Here are some things I do that I have overrated.
Scrolling on social media seeking out ideas.
Time spent replying to emails.
Sitting at my desk for long periods yet not actually doing much.
Task switching.
Answering every call or message that comes my way.
Going to networking events.
Saying yes to a meeting over 30 minutes long.
Here are some things I do that I have underrated.
Going for a walk alone without any input.
Sitting with a book.
Calling some family or a close friend.
Researching something I’m curious about.
Catching up with a mate over a coffee.
Asking someone for help with something.
The one’s overrated often make me feel productive. Like I’m moving the needle. Like I’m creating opportunities. Like I’m spending my time usefully. Reality check: I’ve been lying to myself - at least most of the time.
The underrated ones. They do feel like they should be important. Yet not important enough for me to dedicate the sufficient amount of time to them. I got my head stuck in a beehive of noise. Looking busy. It feels good until it really doesn’t. It makes me feel more miserable than happy. I’ve made efforts to correct this more recently. Guess what? I feel much better. Even if I don’t realise it in the moment (which I often don’t).
Coaching.
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Things I’m learning
A year on since I read Oliver Burkeman’s book ‘4000 weeks’, A profoundly impactful book. Here are a few takeaways I’ve pulled back out lately.
Less is much more.
“Once you no longer need to convince yourself that the world isn’t filled with uncertainty and tragedy, you’re free to focus on doing what you can to help. And once you no longer need to convince yourself that you’ll do everything that needs doing, you’re free to focus on doing a few things that count.”
The good procrastinator vs the bad procrastinator.
“The good procrastinator accepts the fact that she can’t get everything done, then decides as wisely as possible what tasks to focus on and what to neglect. By contrast, the bad procrastinator finds himself paralysed precisely because he can’t bear the thought of confronting his limitations”
Another problem with time management.
This one relates to my earlier points in thoughts. What are we trying to be so productive for? Will we actually see what we are striving so much for?
“The more you focus on using time well, the more each day begins to feel like something you have to get through, en route to some calmer, better, more fulfilling point in the future, which never actually arrives.”
Question
What is something that you regularly do, that you know doesn’t serve you?
That’s all for this week folks. Thank you for reading.
With love, Nick
PS: Make that call.