Sabotaging Short Cuts

I don’t now about you but life has become very busy since the beginning of this year. It has felt like time has speeded up, rather whirlwind-like. Many people I have spoken with recently have felt the same, some kind of shift happening, rather like the brakes being taken off.

And that is all great! However I also began to see in myself that I was wanting to short cut things to make up time and ‘get things done”. Yep, that old potato, the “get things done”. Now it is all well and good to get things done, but not if it is to the expense of other things like being really present in my work and not getting impatient.

I also noticed that I was getting frustrated with the amount of time I needed to take on certain tasks on the computer. Important tasks that will pay dividends in the future. I caught myself resenting the time it took away from my “work”. Whoa! And that’s the catch. What do you consider work and what is just ‘stuff to get done’?

Once I saw this I realised that it was the ‘stuff to get done’ that was suffering from the short cut syndrome. I wanted to get it over and done with quickly so I could get back to my ‘work”. Problem was that in rushing something and trying to get away with the minimum I was actually sabotaging myself and my ‘work’ too.

I was talking with a client last week about how to manage time and that the ‘stuff to get done’ list never seems to diminish. This list can feel overwhelming and take us away from what seems important. However in some ways you think everything is important or it wouldn’t be on your list. So, as I said to my client, first review the list of things you are trying to shortcut. Do you need to do everything on it? Are the majority of them (and I say majority as some things just have to get done) in line with your passions? In other words are they taking you where you want to go?

If they are then don’t let yourself take short cuts. Instead do them fully now. Take the time now and save time in the future. How often have you taken a short cut only to have to redo it all over again later?

And if the things on your list are not in line with your passions and don’t fall in the ‘tough I’ve got to do it anyway’ category ask yourself, why am I doing this? What is the purpose? What outcome will I get? Once you have the answers to that question you will see clearly if this task is taking you towards your passions. Because as we say in The Passion Test (http://www.find-your-passions.com) “whenever you are faced with a choice, decision or opportunity – consistently chose in favour of your passions” – that will ensure you live a passionate life. And no longer sabotage yourself with short cuts.