Learning the hard way

I can do things. Tie my shoelaces, drive a car, edit books, keep deadlines, remember birthdays, write, take photos, and deliver interesting speeches.

There are lots of things I can't do. Cook, graphic design, and brain surgery, to name just a few of the many I could put here.

And there is one thing I do do that, as I learned the hard way, has major repercussions.

It's called overtasking - when the list of duties becomes so overwhelming that you wake up one day simultaneously wondering and panicking, "What the hey? How did this happen? And what do I do now?"

To be sure, this is a slow creep, occurring over time and without anyone actually noticing. In my case, and in this particular situation, it was brought about by picking up tasks left wanting because the people doing them either moved, took another job, retired or burned out, or were in fact never told it was something they should or could be doing in the first place.

And that's not all. It's also the result of me being a little too protective of my charges, overenthusiastic about my responsibilities, quick to take on new tasks to fix a particular situation that has arisen or might arise at some point down the line, and/or doing more, way more, than the situation required.

As a result, there is now, quite simply, too much on my plate, most of which I probably shouldn't even be doing. And because I'm focused on moving in a new direction and succeeding in some different pursuits, I need to take back much of the time otherwise committed to the repercussions of that slow creep, and thereby regain some control over my today.

In other words, it's time to let something go.

Exactly what had to go became obvious after tracking time spent on everything over a two-month period. With the answer staring me in the face, and the realisation slowly sinking in, it was nevertheless a tough decision, albeit definitely the right one. For better or for worse, it will take some time to stick, but it is already in play.

I learned the hard way that allowing slow creep to monopolise your time and ambitions doesn't get you anywhere. So, look at it from my point of view and stop the creep before it stops you.

Now, that's something we can all do!