Modern day living is getting unbearably busy. Between people strutting around wearing their “busyness” as a badge of honour, to people told we should do more, have more, be more, SPEND MORE, it is no surprise that working parents are feeling overwhelmed. So often, what we want or need gets pushed down the list of priorities.
Or, even worse. They fall off the list completely. In between work, family, friends, pets and social media notifications, it can be hard to work out what is important, or urgent, or both. That is a habit that needs to be broken right now!
What I am going to share with you this week is a little insight. A bit of a stress test on your to-do list, to help you shift some of the mental admin and emotional load you may be carrying. If you are due to go away on holiday from work, even for a few days, this is a great time to test the four-part process. Once you have perfected that for your current to-do list (where IS the sunscreen?) then you can pull it out on a regular basis!
Get your hands on your to-do list. Ideally, this will be cover EVERYTHING that you are working on. Not just work stuff, but life admin in general. Brain dump it all.
Look at each item on the list and consider if you can do any of the following with them:
Delegate
One of the most obvious but often overlooked. Do you have to be one to do this item? Do you have to do all of it? Can it, or part of it, be babysat whilst you are away? Very simply, who can help?
Pause
Exactly what it sounds like! Can you just press pause on this piece of work? This may be until you go back, or maybe for longer. Consider what your priorities are and shift this piece of work or responsibly to a better time.
Move
This is changing how you see it. Can you combine a couple of pieces of work to “tick two birds with one stone?” Can you shift how this is delivered? This is not necessarily changing the timing of what you are doing, but the way you are doing it
Dump
If after going through the checklist, you realise it doesn’t need to be done at all; for example, it can be paused indefinitely with no consequence, ask yourself if it I something that needs to be done AT ALL. Is it something you are doing out of habit, obligation or guilt? Then an even bigger reason to dump it.
What you will get from using this four-step process is a clarity around what is important. Less pressure in the run-up to any time off and a blueprint to manage your overwhelm at any time of the year.
Want more tips like this? Check our all my work-life balance blogs here.
Come over to The Balance Collective with Clara Wilcox and tell us what you have Delegated, Paused, Moved or Dumped. Let’s make 2018 the year you start taking control of your work-life balance!
Clara Wilcox is a straight talking, practical and experienced coach helping clients navigate the tricky waters of returning to work, career changes and professional development. The Balance Collective is a social enterprise focused on improving the lives of parents, by working together to build inner confidence and promote a healthy work/life balance.
