Have you noticed how many “ings” are clamoring for your attention? The ring of your cell phone. The ping of new email. The bing of a new social media post and the ding of a new text message. All of those “ings” have been drowning me lately. And now, as everyone is talking remotely, it has only gotten louder.
Put Down The Phone
I have a radical thought for you…you don’t have to answer the phone every time it rings. Surprised? I was. The thought of not answering my phone or my email almost paralyzed me at first. But then, I realized I was letting my devices control me. What’s more, I realized it was affecting me in other ways too. It was robbing me of time and focus. It was forcing me to multi-task when I really needed to stay on one task. And it was dictating my priorities.
Your Immediate Attention May Not Be Required
Not every fire is urgent. I found that I was no longer in control of what was urgent and what wasn’t. Every one on the other end of the phone or email felt urgent. And you know what? As harsh as this sounds, they really weren’t. Yes there were some things that needed my attention right away, but less than what you might think.
It’s Ok To Take Back Your Time
The point is, as scary as it might be, you can and should unplug once in awhile. And I get it. The people pleaser in me never wants to say no to anything. But when it starts affecting your stress levels or it gets to a point where you are putting your priorities on hold to address everyone else’s urgent needs, you need to take a step back. It is like my Dad always says, “If it is important, they will call back” (or in this day and age, they will leave a voice mail). When you take a step back, you get to decide what to do next. That single choice can give you the freedom to do what you need to do.
And I suspect when you do this on a regular basis, you will feel the weights lift off your shoulders and your joy will return. And that will make it easier to put out the fires that do need your attention.
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