Are You Afraid of Being More Productive?

There is a fear of being more productive and efficient with our time that no one ever talks about.

Without addressing this deep-seated fear it can be challenging to create an organized schedule and space that truly supports your goals and allows your days to flow with ease and enjoyment.

I have noticed it surface time and again with my clients. They are yearning to be out of the chaos and overwhelm they feel inside. They want to live a life that feels in control, balanced, and one lets them be present even if they’ve never felt that way before.

But to find this state of mind and to develop the systems that will allow you to keep it, you have to first get clear about what you are going to do with the time and energy you have gained from being more organized.

Without this clarity can you guess what happens?

What will happen is that you will sabotage your organizing efforts. This makes sense because if you aren’t clear on how you will spend this time, this fear will take over.

That fear is this: at a deep level we are afraid that the more efficient we become, the more productively we use our time – the more work and effort will flow in.

Kind of makes sense doesn’t it?

If we are in a state of overwhelm and we go through the effort of creating more time in our day without getting clear about how we will use it, it makes sense that our brains and bodies would assume we are getting organized so we can work harder and longer.

Now for some of you that might be exactly what you want to do and that is perfectly fine. As long as you are clear up front that this is your goal and your brain and body are in alignment, then you won’t have any trouble with this.

For the rest of you that are looking for less work and more freedom and energy, I encourage you to take a few minutes right now and jot down how you would spend a few extra hours each day.

Because here’s the rub: If you don’t know what you want from this time, it will be impossible to create it.

So decide right now what you want your days to look like. This will help you start to get comfortable with the idea of things moving in the direction you desire. You can then leverage the motivation this conjures and take a step toward this goal today.

Here are some great places to start:
- Draw your boundaries around work. Set your office hours and commit to ending work at a certain time.
- Create a checklist for your morning and evening routines that include all the pieces that would most support your life right now.
- Get support for this process through your partner, roommates or family and let them know how they can support you to create more time in your day.
- Get professional support and accountability to speed the process along.
What would you do with more time each day?