When your work overwhelms you
I have started a new running program, which adds an additional 3-5 hours to my week. We all have 168 hours a week (24×7), and finding 3-5 hours in that time frame should not be challenging to keep myself fit and healthy.
I spent a week contemplating my new morning routine before committing to it. In reality, was I trying to find 3-5 hours from the 168 available hours during my week?
No, I was trying to find an additional 3-5 hours in a narrow window between 7 and 10 am. Two hours were already accounted for with the existing fitness routine, and the rest for chores. I had to start waking up early to fit in the additional hour three days a week.
I struggled to solve this problem during the pandemic and couldn’t establish a consistent fitness routine. I signed up for online yoga classes, tai chi classes, and pilates classes, but I couldn’t stick with them for more than a week.
I did not change anything about my daily routine; even if I tried to change it, it was hard. The inertia of my current state was too much, and I gave up after a few attempts at exercising.
When we introduce a new habit into our lives, it is crucial to assess where it fits into our day, what needs to change to ensure it is embedded, and what we are unwilling to change. It is a juggling act, so finding a rhythm with a new habit takes a few weeks.
We understand this well in our personal lives, but this reasoning often vanishes in our work lives.
We say yes to new projects, assignments, clients and tasks without considering what else is on our plates, calendars, inboxes, and workloads.
This often happened when senior stakeholders or bosses gave me a new project, assignment, initiative, or mentoring on top of my already overwhelming workload.
I’d find it hard to say no because the opportunity seemed exciting (or because the person said so and I could not refuse). Doing something new and different is always more exciting than dealing with the same old boring work.
I wouldn’t take a moment to think about my current workload and just add it to my to-do list. I’d spend time away from existing tasks to work on the new ones, and then I’d be under pressure and stress to finish my work.
If it were something I didn’t enjoy doing, I would procrastinate until forced by a deadline or a reminder from a boss or a colleague.
This happens because our workload is invisible to us.
On a list, every item takes up a line. So, even if you have 10 items, the list looks small enough. We are unable to gauge how much time it takes actually to do the task.
How do you make that work visible so you can be intentional about saying yes to new work?
Before committing to new work, clients, initiatives, assignments or mentoring, map out your tasks on your calendar:
Block time for breaks
Block time for meetings related to your work/projects
Block time for your actual work/projects
Block time for working with your team (1:1s, reviews, feedback, updates, team meetings)
Block planning, thinking and reflection time
Block “grunt” and “admin” work time
Block learning time
Block these times (estimate an average) for the next 2 weeks, and you’ll see if you actually have the bandwidth to take on more work.
You’ll likely realise you barely have time to do the work you’re already committed to.
Time isn’t going to appear in your day magically. You will take that time out of your life or other work activities. You need to decide if that trade-off is worth it.
Make the invisible visible. Block time in your calendar, and let me know what you find.
If you’re struggling to balance new habits or manage your workload effectively, you don’t have to do it alone.
As a Life and Career Coach, I help individuals create strategies that lead to more productive and fulfilling lives.
Feel free to reach out if you’re interested in personalised guidance on achieving your goals. Let’s unlock your potential together!
đź’Ś Siri
