I made this mistake so you don't have to!
It’s Friday morning as I write this post, and I’m utterly pooped!
There’s been lots of excitement this week, and on top of that my body clock didn’t get the memo about the clocks changing back in October, so I’ve been wide awake at 4.30 every bloomin’ morning for the last few weeks.
By yesterday I was feeling it.
And now, I’m totally cream crackered.
Over the last 48 hours I’ve been struggling to get things done. Mornings at my desk have drifted by in a haze of mindless scrolling, email checking, looking to see how many people opened last week’s email… anything but what’s written on my list for the day.
Surprised to read that I have days like that too? Well, there’s a perfectly simple explanation …
At the end of every day, I write down what I want to get done the following day so I can be focused as soon as I sit down to start work.
But that strategy only works if I LOOK AT THE BLOODY LIST, WOMAN!
Yesterday and today, at least an hour of my working day slipped by before I took it out of my desk drawer.
I know better than that, for goodness’ sake!
I know that when I’m tired it’s even more important to use the tools I put in place to support me.
That if I’d looked at my list as soon as I sat down, I wouldn’t have wasted time on activities that are utterly pointless.
If I'd looked at the list right away, I’d have given my tired self an opportunity to choose:
🤔 Do the things on the list really have to happen today?
🤔 Do I rest now, and come back to the important things later?
🤔 Do I do the important things now, and rest later?
🤔 Do I give myself a day off?
These aren’t trick questions and there are no right or wrong answers. But asking them at the right moment would have saved me hours of being busy doing nothing.
I might have chosen to go out for a walk to get the blood flowing before starting work. I might have chosen to get the most important thing done right away, so I could finish work earlier in the day.
But no. I left my list in my drawer and faffed about like a goodun.
Next time you’re tired, please don’t do what I did.
Take a look at your daily to-do list as soon as you sit down to work, and be intentional about how your day unfolds. Even when Especially when you’re tired.
You’re welcome.