It’s Not the Load, but the Way You Carry it, that Weighs You Down
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
Is procrastination a character flaw or a habit? It is definitely a habit, although many people talk about it as if it were an uncontrollable quality, an innate part of their personality, or it has even been referred to as an appealing trait, which I feel is simply nothing more than a disguised excuse. Let’s face it, procrastination is a choice and over time, it can become a habit that is really difficult to break.
Procrastination is defined by experts as the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of low-priority, which leads to putting off important tasks to a later time. The behavior is usually counterproductive, not necessary, and it often delays something that needs your attention. Often times it results in increased levels of stress, a sense of guilt, a dramatic loss of productivity, and can even include strained relationships if commitments or responsibilities aren’t handled. So why do it? Good question. Common sense is not always common practice.
We tend to find ourselves walking down the procrastination path when we are faced with one of four scenarios:
- Unpleasant tasks
- Difficult tasks
- Perfectionism
- Disorganization
First, for tasks that you don’t care for, we tend to put them off to the side and wish them away. But do they go away? The chances are not too likely. So when you have one or even several tasks that you would prefer to avoid, I recommend tackling those first, and then giving yourself a small reward for “kicking that can” out of the way. Don’t let dreaded duties drag you down. Face ‘em and forget ‘em.
Second are the difficult tasks; those responsibilities that seem daunting and sometimes demanding. Arduous tasks require our greatest concentration. I suggest that you plan specific times throughout the day to focus your attention on these duties when you have the greatest mental energy. For some of us this time is first thing in the morning. For others of us it is mid-morning. Yet for people like me, I find I am able to concentrate the best right after lunch. Tackle the most difficult tasks at the right time and then break them down into digestible chunks. By assigning a timeline to the overall task, knowing when each aspect needs to be completed, scheduling time in your schedule that aligns with your energy cycle, and then following through on your plan, will certainly help you to combat your most daunting endeavors.
The third reason we find ourselves procrastinating is when we seek a perfect outcome. Usually tasks do not require perfection; rather, they need to be handled according to expectations. If we continue to make adjustments because it isn’t “just so,” we usually find ourselves losing high levels of productivity and simply getting stuck. I believe in exceeding expectations, but leaving perfectionism at the door.
The fourth component of procrastination is disorganization. I continue to be amazed at the number of individuals who swear that they know exactly where every piece of paper is among the mountains and piles. They may have a general idea, and they may even know about where the document is, however, the chances of being able to work without feeling a sense of chaos and disarray, I just can’t imagine. I could definitely be wrong here, but I know that I am always more focused and productive when my desk area is organized and clean. So if you suffer from disorganization, I challenge you to take the “De-clutter Challenge.” Do your best to un-clutter your work area and keep it that way for one full week. Take an honest pulse-check as to whether you feel you had greater productivity by being more organized. Your outcome of this experiment will clearly outline for you whether or not enhanced organization can help you. It’s worth a try; what have you got to lose? Except…maybe another important piece of paper?
You, like me, are probably being asked to do more today than you did a year ago. Whether it is at work or at home, the tasks continue to come. As you likely realize, not all tasks are created equal. And if you don’t prioritize them, someone else usually will. So plan your responsibilities and strive to re-prioritize them as needed, even if that means doing this several times a week or even per day. Because it is not the actual number of tasks that we need to do that weighs us down; for if it was, we would have been able to get up years ago. Instead, what tends to burdens us is how we carry the load. Choose to handle those tasks promptly that need your attention rather than procrastinating and putting them off until they become a crisis. The “Gain®” certainly out-weighs the “Tide®.”
Hardships Don’t Define You
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
Is Your Life Defined by Hardships? Do you feel that life is unfair or you have been dealt a crappy hand? Most of us feel this ways at times throughout our life. However, do you spend a fair amount of time thinking this way?
If you do, these thoughts are toxic and need to change. Instead of focusing your energy on what has just occurred or may be out of your control, it is so important to focus instead on what measures can be taken, what things are in your control, and what things you can do now to make the situation better. Bad stuff happens to all of us. It’s part of life. How you choose to move through your hardships or adversities is what defines you…not the obstacle itself.
It is Better to Have and Not Need, Then Need and Not Have
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
After the birth of one of my sons and during the latter part of my maternity leave, I found I needed to simply get out of the house. I decided I was going to venture out to Kohls Department Store with my young infant. I decided that I would bring my own stroller into the store for added comfort for my little sweetie, but I knew I wouldn’t be in there long so I decided not to haul the diaper bag along too.
As I was browsing the infant clothing circulars, gently rocking the stroller back and forth, he started to fuss a bit. I first tried the pacifier and then decided to lift him up, patting his back in anticipation of an emerging tiny burp. He started to pull his knees up some and continued to squirm around, clearly not comfortable. Then it started.
His face began to look very determined, it turned a darker shade of pink, and small grunting sounds were soon heard. Echoing from his drawers was small toots at first, which quickly turned to huge air bursts, as if there were mini explosions erupting. Knowing that he has a sensitive stomach, I decided it was time to head home. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to escape quite that easily.
After only another second or two, shooting straight out of both sides of his diaper and onesie outfit, came the most foul-smelling waste I had ever imagined! I was horrified to realize that this matter was not only on the top of my stroller, but it was on the store carpet and also a row of pink outfits hanging on the nearby circular. Thank goodness no one was around, but what do I do now?
My son was visibly satisfied and feeling far better than he did five minutes earlier. I, on the other hand, was panicked beyond recognition. My heart was pounding fiercely as I considered numerous options. Do I just leave? Do I yell for help? Do I take his onesie off and try to clean up the carpet with it?
I chose to place my baby into his stroller, count the pink outfits as I pulled them from the rack, and tried to clean the debris from the carpet to the best of my ability. I rolled the material into a large toxic ball, placed it on top of the stroller, and raced to the check-out line. A line was an understatement. This is where all of the patrons were hanging out. Each of the four check-out lanes were completely backed up, at least 8-10 people deep.
I paused briefly, and chose to walk quickly in front of all of the patrons in one of the lanes saying, “I’m so sorry, but this is an emergency. Trust me…you don’t want to know.” I proceeded to tear off one of the tags from the seven identical pink outfits and said, “I need to pay for seven of these just as quickly as you can ring me up. They are all soiled and you will need to trust me. Please!” After paying, I was handed a plastic bag where I disposed of all seven of the pink outfits, tied the bag securely, and told the clerk that a janitor needed to be called to that area of the store to clean a mess on the floor. I continued to apologize as I exited the building, tossing the toxic bag into the outside garbage bin.
I couldn’t believe it. What a nightmare. It was truly embarrassing.
After I got home, I washed my stroller, cleaned my car seat, bathed my baby and aired out my car, I realized one key learning from the recent event. It is better to have and not need, than need and not have. This became a life lesson for me and a statement I would continue to live my life by. Preparation is so important in life; when we are prepared, we are less nervous and far more composed. We can better handle unforeseen issues, simply because we are poised and not flustered. Oh, and by the way, I also learned to never again go anywhere without the diaper bag.
Lighten Up Already!
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
For my very first keynote speaking engagement, I was also the emcee for the event. It was in Scottsdale, Arizona, in a huge ballroom of a beautiful conference center. I opened up the conference, welcomed everyone and then introduced the first presenter.
As break time came, I was approached by a young lady. She gently placed her hand on my shoulder, leaned in, and I heard her whisper, “Your per is en.” Because it suddenly got quite loud in the room as people stood up to rush to the restrooms, grab a snack or a beverage, or turn on their favorite connection device, I wasn’t able to clearly understand what she had said. I replied back, “I’m sorry, can you please repeat what you said a little louder?” As the story goes, the intensity in the room happened to somewhat lessen at that moment, as she said to me, “Your zipper is open.” Several tables of attendees now also were privileged to hear her secret. I was horrified. “How do I rebound from that,” I wondered? Well, I chose to simply look at her and say, “I am so thankful you had the courage to tell me that. Thank you so very much. Imagine if it was like that for most of the day,” as we both giggled and each proceeded to where we were headed.
As I returned from break, before the room quieted down, I went over to the table that the girl and her colleagues were seated at, and gave her a special token of my appreciation. “This is for truly helping me avoid an even more embarrassing moment.” This entire table of women and several keen attendees at surrounding tables all joined me in a little chuckle, as I headed back up to the microphone.
I’ll never forget that February day, as I do believe that the small dose of laughter is what helped relax me and also allowed me to feel connected to an audience that were complete strangers to me, just a short time earlier. Knowing what I know today about the art of connection when speaking, I consider myself blessed for that moment of hesitation.
Focusing on the 20 Percent that Really Matters
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
The 80/20 Rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, means that in nearly all cases, a few (20 percent) are vital and many (80 percent) are trivial. The 80/20 Rule serves as a continual reminder for me to identify and then focus eighty percent of my effort on the twenty percent of my tasks that matter the most to me. Do you spend 80 percent of your time and energy on things that are really important to you? Many of us don’t, but if we remind ourselves often, we can swing the pendulum in the other direction.
Interestingly, the 80/20 Rule can be applied to almost anything. Some examples include:
- 80% of clothes you wear regularly come from only 20% of what’s in your closet
- 80% of the difficulty in achieving something lies in 20% of the challenge
- 80% of road traffic accidents are caused by 20% of drivers
- 20% of mail received yields 80% of the value
- 80% of a supervisor’s interruptions come from the same 20% of people
- 80% of your measurable results comes from 20% of your activities
- Only 20% of a meeting’s duration results in 80% of its value
- 80% of activity will require 20% of resources
- 80% of usage is by 20% of users
- 80% of a restaurant’s turnover comes from 20% of its menu
- 80% of corporate pollution comes from 20% of corporations
- 80% of revenue comes from 20% of customers
- 80% of problems come from 20% of causes
- 80% of complaints come from 20% of customers
- 80% of sales will come from 20% of sales people
- 80% of work absence is due to 20% of staff
- 80% of customer complaints are caused by 20% of one’s products or services
- 20% of your marketing efforts generate 80% of your marketing results
- 80% of managerial pain and headaches are caused by 20% of the causes
- 20% of your products or projects or customers will generate 80% of your profitability
It is true that for any particular situation the precise ratio can and probably will be different than 80:20, but the principle will apply nevertheless, and in many cases the actual ratio will not be far away from the 80/20 general rule.
The value of this principle is in reminding us to stay focused on the “20 percent that matters.” When the blow horns sound off surrounding the “crisis of the day” and piranhas begin to chomp away at your precious time, remind yourself of the critical 20 percent you need to focus on. If anything on your list of activities and action items has to fall by the wayside and be left undone, be sure it isn’t listed in that critical 20 percent.
Stress is a High Impact Sport
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
Stress is certainly part of the human condition, as the average adult is seemingly bombarded with varying types of stress from all different directions. It is also very clear that when stress accumulates, whether it’s at the workplace, at home, or anywhere in between – it can have extremely harmful effects on us like increased heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension, to name a few.
According to a recent article published by The Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) entitled, “Letting Go of Stress,” it sites that the association between stress and disease as colossal, like being connected to several conditions and diseases such as hypertension, chronic pain and a suppressed immune system which can be responsible for everything from the common cold to cancer. They go on the state that the association between stress and disease is about 85 percent and that’s not just a loose association; there’s a direct causal link there.
The definition of stress that is agreed upon by most experts says that “stress is a perceived threat, whether real or imagined, to our mind, body, spirit or emotions.” So when a person perceives something, they place their own interpretation on it, meaning two people in the exact same situation may respond differently. The first step in managing stress is to identify what specific stress-factors exist. Once you realize what the cause is, you can then begin to use coping techniques and strategies.
Several strategies that have worked well for many people I know include the following:
- Alter the way you think about the situation – Try to reframe it or change your perception about what could happen.
- Write daily in a journal – Noting your thoughts and feelings allows you to let go of some of them, which tends to reduce the stress associated with it.
- Keep an Appreciation List – Write a list of those things/people that you truly appreciate in your life so that when it takes an unfortunate turn, you can focus your thoughts on things that you know are special to you.
- Exercise and eat healthy – Engaging in physical exercise 3-5 times per week plus eating a healthy diet will certainly help you feel better, usually increasing your energy and decreasing your level of unwanted stress.
- Hang around with positive people – Avoid those “negative Nancy’s” or “demeaning David’s” of the world. Spend time with those people that give you inspiration, positive energy and are basically happy individuals. Run from those people who tend to suck the life out of you by their mere pessimistic attitudes and frequent upside-down smiles.
- Have fun! – What ever it is that you enjoy doing, be sure you integrate at least one of those things into your day each and everyday (ensuring it is a healthy choice). Whether it is a hobby, talking to a friend, walking your pet, smelling fresh flowers, write a note to a colleague, listening to a favorite song, offering help to a neighbor, playing a game with your child, reading a chapter in a good book, eating together as a family, etc.
In many cases, we aren’t able to control stressful situations that occur in our lives. We can, though, control our reaction to those aspects that bring us stress. So consciously choose to grab control of your thoughts and you’ll be amazed at the profound difference it can bring to your life.
Giggle, Guffaw, Hoot…Cackle, Chortle, Chuckle…Snicker, Snort, Laugh
Blog from Tracy Butz of Think Impact Solutions
When was the last time your belly hurt so bad from hysterically losing it through laughter? My guess is, you likely can’t remember. It’s been reported that four-year old kids laugh upwards of about 400 times a day. Adults…not so much. We are on record of being some number in the teens, which I quite frankly think is pretty high. When does the world change from fantastically funny to super serious?
I heard an amazing speaker talk about this point in a very interesting way, as follows:
Let me ask you something.
Who can paint a picture – raise your hand?
Who can sing – raise your hand? [Less hands went up]
What if I gave you $1000 bucks – could you sing row, row, row your boat?
Who said they couldn’t sing? [speaker cautiously selects one audience member & says:]
Please do something for me. Say, “I can’t sing.”
Now say, “I choose not to sing.”
What’s the truth?
The speakers point was this. If we asked a kid if he/she could draw a picture or sing a song, how many hands do you think would go up? Most, if not all. Why?
As adults, as we grow up, we tend to take ourselves so seriously.
We constantly send messages to our kids about who we are, whether it’s a positive message or a negative one.
The truth is that kids learn from what we model, through our actions, not our words.
Are you saying one thing, yet doing another?
As adults, what are we so afraid of? Why do we feel we can’t laugh? One reason might be that we may be setting ourselves up to be embarrassed. Today, kids/teens seem to be even more conscious about looks, fads, name brands, having the latest gadget, how they fit in, etc – than even when I grew up.
In 7th grade, my friend and I were given the opportunity to be in a major school play. But it wasn’t for just any typical role. See…we were asked to play the part of a DONKEY. We had to make the outfit, wear it, and play the part. So we made a ridiculous, but creative costume, with paper machete head, a flowing body, and even a tail.
We come out on stage, waddling back and forth, and end up bursting out laughing hysterically. We hadn’t really practiced much in our costume, and we couldn’t even see where we were going.
Because my friend was taller than me, she got to be the front half of the donkey, which gave me the distinct privilege of being the other half. We had a blast, but can you imagine the hazing for being the back end? I really didn’t care. Honestly.
On stage, the donkey act was a huge hit…especially when I stuck my head out to see where we were supposed to be exiting, with the audience screaming with laughter.
We could have been totally worried about what other people thought and could have felt really embarrassed by the experience. But the truth is we weren’t. Instead we had a ton of fun!
But as I got older, that worry started to set in. Not sure why or how. But it seemed as though that making a mistake was really frowned upon. I became overly self-conscious. No one made me feel this way; I chose to feel this way, even though I didn’t realize it.
In 10th grade, our high school band, of which I played the clarinet, was awarded the amazing opportunity to perform at a Green Bay Packer half-time show. We practiced the songs over and over and also spent a significant amount of time walking in sync, doing numerous formations, all in line with the beat of the music. All of the memorization was difficult and the emphasis was on perfection, not fun.
When the day came to perform on the field, I was so flipped out due to the tremendous hype the event was given, I actually chose not to play one note on my clarinet. I was too worried about taking the correct step, that I didn’t feel I could blow one note. Can you imagine if the whole band made that choice?
Remember, that others learn by our actions – let’s not teach ‘worrying’. Imagine what a difference we can make by modeling behaviors like: do your best, try your hardest, have fun, embrace the moment. Take time every day to laugh with, not at, others. Giggle, chuckle, maybe even let out a snort or two. It’s invigorating when your face hurts from laughing so hard, which certainly beats your head hurting from crying so hard.
