Myths That Get In Your Way

I recently met with one of my favorite clients. This man is incredibly successful and in high demand as an advisor and board member. He frequently receives interesting proposals, and skillfully juggles a variety of demanding tasks without ever missing a deadline.

Yet, he claims he needs to be better organized. 

To prove this point, he showed me the piles of papers stacked in his office, the long list of unread emails, the backlog of professional articles and podcasts queued up on his phone. 

He is looking for a magical organizational secret that allows him to say yes to everything and everyone--while still having an open hour every day to read and listen to podcasts.

While it might feel good to get papers neatly filed and emails moved into folders, it's unlikely to get him what he really wants: extra time to read, think, and reflect.

Up until now, he hasn't put time for himself on the calendar. Instead, he has claimed to be a victim of his poor organizational skills.

Does this sound familiar? Are you hoping that open spaces in your calendar will magically appear? Have you attributed your crowded calendar to overbooking, poor organizational skills, or an unwillingness to say no? Your excuses may vary, but the outcome is constant. You put yourself second.  

Start scheduling that time for yourself now; put it on the calendar. Invest in yourself.