Clean Desk Syndrome has kicked in hard at work. Are you like me, where work is rolling downhill in your direction while other people get projects wrapped up before vacation?!
Here’s another way to think about it: What if you applied a similar no-nonsense approach year-round? Not because you’re rushing through projects, but because there are better things to do. You have a family you want to take to the beach. Friends who are ready to knock off early and enjoy a round of cocktails. Or perhaps you just want to spend some quiet time with a new book.
Self-care isn’t mutually exclusive with doing great work and having relationships that mean the world to you. However, you may need to set a new framework to get there. Let me tell you how an entrepreneur made that happen.
Shannon Hennig didn’t consider herself a perfectionist—she simply thought she had high standards. In her mind, it was perfectly normal to try to simultaneously co-homeschool her 6-year-old, juggle her Communications business, and manage ongoing medical check-ins for a high blood pressure condition.
She knew she was stressed, but at a routine appointment, her doctor informed her that she had bigger problems than everyday tension. Her blood pressure was so high that she was diagnosed with potential congenital heart failure. When the diagnosis came, all the big and small decisions of the past that got her there didn’t count. The only thing that mattered was what she was going to do about it, and she had to do it fast.
First, she decided to stop doing everything herself and dig in with the virtual assistant she had hired. Next, she created an operations manual for her business. But the biggest change was internal. She stopped feeling guilty when she reached out for assistance.
She said wistfully, “It meant letting go of old models of thinking about myself as a superhero who could it all without breaking a sweat.”
In the August series, Become a Self-Care Advocate, we’re talking about how you can be your own biggest supporter for a healthy body, mind, and spirit routine. Can you tell how Shannon Hennig advocated for her health by putting the soft skill of smart choices to work? Before her health scare, her time was filled with distractions, ridiculous demands, and averting potential disasters. But everything changed once she created a new 3D rule to streamline her day: Do it, delegate it, or dump it.
Mapping the Do’s was crystal clear—she needed time for family and projects that required her expertise. Next came the Delegate. By creating standard operating procedures, she future-proofed the results. Her creative voice and personal stamp were still front and center in her business, no matter who on her team was executing. And what about what didn’t make the cut? It went into the Dumped category—at least for the moment!
Are you ready to streamline your day? Then start using the 3Ds. Take whatever is in front of you, make a quick cut, make it deep, and make it stick! Here are three ways to start:
*Make it fast by taking 30 seconds to declare, “I make my best decisions when my mind is free from distractions.”
*Make it deep by taking time to consider how you’ll apply the 3D rule. Think of it this way: What will you love Doing once you’re able to Delegate or Dump something else? That Do is your motivation!
*Make it real by applying the 3D rule every day this week.
Trying to go in different directions at the same time and piling on more, more, and more aren’t loving, respectful actions. So, release unrealistic expectations, guilt, and that ridiculous To-Do list that never gets done. Be your own best advocate and streamline your day.