This weeks task is bought to you by our new productivity Ninja for the West Midlands Grace Marshall
“Get a Grip on Guilt” is just one of Grace’s “21 Ways to Manage the Stuff That Sucks Up Your Time” available on Amazon now.
When you have multiple roles, commitments or several projects on the go, it can be easy to find yourself stuck in a guilt trap of procrastination and worry.
That feeling of being torn between commitments – that time spent on one thing means something else is being neglected – can rob you of your time, focus, motivation and energy.
Here’s a 5 minute exercise to help you get a grip on guilt:
1. Check your guilt What’s behind this feeling? – What thoughts, beliefs, worries, or fears are causing you to feel guilty?
2. Challenge your beliefs -Ask yourself, “How true is that, really?” Some underlying beliefs are based on past truths that may no longer reflect today’s reality, and some are part truths.
3. What are the positives? – Often when we are responding to guilt, we only notice what’s going wrong. Take some time to acknowledge what is working well and going right, and the potential positives that can come from this situation.
4. Identify what’s important – Rather than focusing on the fear or worry itself, what is it that you value that feels threatened here? Get to the core of what’s important.
5. Clarify positive action – What can you do to honor what’s important?
For example:
Feeling: I feel guilty if I don’t respond to clients’ emails straight away.
Belief: Emails should be answered immediately.
Challenge it: Who says? Hmm, me probably. Or maybe that one cranky client years ago.
Positives: I have better insights and come up with better solutions when I have time to think. Some of my best responses have been 48-hour turn-arounds, and those clients were very happy.
What’s important: Reliability and service. I pride myself on delivering on my promises and giving good service, which means I need to respond in a timely manner.
Positive action: Set clear expectations of 48-hour turn-around on emails and communicate this to clients. Emphasize quality and meet those expectations every time.