I’m sure you have heard the same clichéd quote used time and time again; often in time management workshops, as a way of making you reflect on how much time you spend, actually making a difference.
It’s one of those coined phrases that you can’t seem to escape from. If it’s not plastered on posters in libraries, it’s preached by every self-help book and professed by most life-coaches who promise to change your ways of working. And sometimes, it works.
Today, I’ve come to find my own definition of the phrase. I am a lot more productive and a lot less busy when I manage my own expectations, avoid unnecessary pressure and stop trying to meet deadlines I don’t need to meet.
In the last three weeks I have undertaken what I call, a re-set. A few weeks to re-evaluate the way I work, gather my thoughts and shape a new way of thinking. A new frame of mind you could say.
I’ve come to realise that I often support employees with things like measuring expectations and managing time or perhaps dealing with pressure and avoiding stress and these are the things that I need to be teaching myself, every day.
My re-set has taught me to take a leaf out of my own book and come to terms with the fact I, like every other human, do not need to be perfect – in fact, pledging to constantly improve yourself actually makes you a better teacher.
This is what my re-set has taught me so far;
- I need to measure my own expectations better and teach myself to organise my expectations in priority level, the same way I teach others to.
- I have always been obsessed with sticking to deadlines and so, meeting them has never been much of a worry with me. The unhealthy part of this however is the idea that I need to get everything done today, without fail. This will change.
- I woke up to the idea that I needed to really limit the amount of stress that I bring into my work. People can ask a lot of you, and that’s absolutely fine, but it’s the pressure you give yourself that often causes the most stress and the last few weeks have told me, it’s me that’s creating an unnecessary level of pressure.
- I realised I was left feeling unsatisfied by the expectations that I set upon myself and realised that setting myself manageable expectations gives me not just satisfaction but an enjoyable level of progression.
- I also realised that I needed to readdress this in order to be a master of my own craft and also, learn from my own mistakes.
My message to you, is re-set, if you’re feeling the pressure stop and think about where is that pressure really coming from?
- Clarify where your pressure derives from; is the stress you are feeling imparted on you from an external source or person, or, are you putting unnecessary stress on yourself? If it is yourself, think about other ways of measuring your own expectations and take control of the things that are within your control.
- Be kind to yourself; Think of yourself as your own student. You need to learn as much as you need to teach and if you become the best version of yourself, you can add the most value.
We’re all human and we should all think of ourselves as unfinished versions, always in need of development. Now, having revaluated my own expectations and ways of working, I think I can bring so much more value back into the classroom and I’d like to hear from you.
What do you think stops you from being the best version of yourself?
