Masterful Mindsets

“Busyness is an illness of the spirit.” ~ Eugene Peterson

Over the last few weeks, we’ve explored several practical ways to become more intentional with our time. From organizing our days and creating better routines to focusing our attention, letting go of multitasking, and giving ourselves permission to take breaks.

But before we wrap up this series next week, I want to go a little deeper and ask an important question:

Why do so many of us feel the need to be doing something all the time?

Because all that multitasking, skipping breaks, overbooking, rushing, and constantly trying to squeeze more into our days might just be signs of a larger pattern.

We have become really good at being busy.

Sometimes so good that when we finally get caught up, instead of enjoying the breathing room we’ve created, we immediately find something else to fill it. We add another project, make another commitment, check another thing off the list, or simply find another way to stay in motion.

I’ve...

“There is virtue in work, and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.” ~ Alan Cohen

Last week I got on my soapbox about multitasking. (Or task switching, as it really is.) And why trying to do multiple things at once usually doesn’t help us get more done. In fact, constantly switching our attention can leave us feeling more scattered, stressed, and mentally exhausted.

So this week, I want to build on that idea with another practice that can sometimes feel counterintuitive when you have a lot to accomplish: taking a break.

If you feel guilty when you stop working, believe you don’t have time for breaks, or regularly tell yourself, I’ll just push through until I get this done, this post is especially for you. Because just as trying to do everything at once can actually make you less efficient, pushing yourself to keep going when your mind and body need a reset can have the same effect.

Sometimes pushing harder doesn’t help you accomplish more. It simply leaves you...

“To do two things at once is to do neither.” ~ Publilius Syrus

A couple of weeks ago, when I shared my tips for organizing your day for maximum efficiency, I made a statement that has caused a little bit of a stir over the years:

Multitasking doesn't work.

Now, before those of you who consider yourselves master multitaskers start debating with me, hear me out. You may actually be very good at juggling multiple things at once. I used to think I was too! But being good at something doesn't necessarily mean it's the most effective way to work.

What most of us call multitasking is actually task switching. When two activities require our conscious attention, our brains aren't truly focusing on both at the same time. Instead, we're rapidly shifting our attention back and forth between them.

And every one of those little switches has a cost.

The Hidden Cost of Switching Your Attention

Think about how often this happens during a normal day. You're working on an important project whe...

“You’ve got to wake up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” ~ George Lorimer

Over the past few weeks, we've been looking at time from a bigger perspective. Not simply how to manage it better, but how to make sure the way we spend our time reflects the life we actually want to live.

We've talked about the amount of time we spend working, whether our schedules reflect what we value, and the important reminder that for every yes, there's a corresponding no. Last week, we got even more practical with seven ways to organize your day so you can spend less time feeling overwhelmed and more time focused on what matters most.

Now I want to take that conversation one step further.

Over the next few weeks, we're going to break down some specific ways you can become more intentional with your time and your daily habits. And I can't think of a better place to begin than at the beginning - with your morning.

Because whether you realize it or n...

“With organization comes empowerment.” ~ Lynda Peterson

If you had a dollar for every task on your To-Do List, would you be a millionaire?

If you're anything like me, there are probably more things you'd like to get done than you'll ever have time to do. And that's really the point we've been exploring throughout this month's series: There are only so many hours in a day, which means we must choose what gets our time.

We started the month by looking at the enormous amount of time we spend working and why it's important to find meaning and enjoyment in that work. Then we stepped back and looked at how we're spending our lives as a whole. Last week, I challenged you to remember that for every yes, there's a corresponding no and to begin making sure your yeses are aligned with what you value most.

Now it's time to put some structure around those choices.

Because once you know what matters, you still have to make time for it.

That's where organization comes in.

Being Productive ...

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” ~ Stephen Covey

Last week I wrote about the idea that how you spend your time is how you spend your soul. So as we continue through this series, I want to reemphasize something I shared last week and encourage you to become more aware of one simple but important truth:

For every yes, there's a corresponding no.

Every time you say yes to something, you're using time, energy, or attention that can no longer be given to something else. And because those resources are limited, I want you to ponder an important question: Are your yeses aligned with your values? Or are the things you value most often what you end up saying no to because of a reckless, reactive yes?

That's a question worth sitting with for a minute.

Because most of us would probably say we know what we value. We value our health. We value our families and relationships. We value meaningful work, personal growth, joy, connection, ...

“The decisions you make determine the schedule you keep. The schedule you keep determines the life you live. And how you live your life determines how you spend your soul.” ~ Lysa TerKeurst

Last week, we talked about how much of our lives we spend working and why I believe it’s so important to find meaning and enjoyment in the work we do. But work is only one piece of a much bigger question I want us to explore this month: Where is your time actually going?

Because when you really think about it, time management isn’t simply about organizing your calendar or figuring out how to squeeze more into your day. It’s about making intentional decisions about your life. And as Lysa TerKeurst so beautifully puts it in the quote above, ultimately, how you spend your time is how you spend your soul.

That makes our calendars a lot more important than we sometimes realize.

Think about your own life for a moment. Is there something you deeply want to do, experience, create, or become, but you...

“Let us realize that: the privilege to work is a gift, the power to work is a blessing, the love of work is success!” ~ David O. McKay

If you live and work in the U.S., there's a good chance you look forward to Labor Day as an extra day off at the beginning of September. But Labor Day was actually created as a celebration of workers and the contributions they make through their work.

And that got me thinking about something bigger...

Over the next couple of months, we're going to be talking a lot about time. More specifically, where we're spending it, what we're giving it to, and whether the way we're using it reflects what matters most to us. So, what does this have to do with work? Well, I can't think of a better place to begin than with work because, for most of us, work will consume a significant amount of our time throughout our lives.

Just consider the math. Someone working a traditional 40-hour workweek for roughly 45 years could spend around 90,000 hours of their life w...

 “Just imagine becoming the way you used to be as a very young child, before you understood the meaning of any word, before opinions took over your mind. The real you is loving, joyful, and free.” ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Over the last several weeks, we've been exploring the wisdom found in The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. We've talked about being impeccable with our word, not taking things personally, avoiding assumptions, and always doing our best.

These four simple principles have helped millions of people create greater freedom, peace, and personal responsibility in their lives. And if you've been following along, my hope is that they've helped you reflect on some of your own thoughts, beliefs, habits, and behaviors as well.

But as we wrap up this series, I want to leave you with a question that I think may be even more important than the agreements themselves:

What agreements are you currently living by?

Most of us don't spend much time thinking about that question.

Yet ...

“Your best is going to change from moment to moment. It will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.” ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

As we've worked our way through The Four Agreements, we've talked about being impeccable with our word, not taking things personally, and avoiding assumptions. Today, we're looking at the fourth and final agreement:

Always Do Your Best.

At first glance, it sounds simple enough. Most people would probably say they already try to do their best.

But if that's true, why do so many people walk around feeling frustrated, disappointed, and like they're never quite measuring up?

I think the answer is something I've seen repeatedly in both my coaching practice and my own life:

Many people aren't striving to do their best.

They're striving to be perfect.

And those are two very different things.

If you're someone who puts a lot of pressure on yourself...