Make Time. It is within your control.
Prioritize, Delegate and Focus for Maximum Impact AND Happiness.
“Got a second?”
— “No, I’m slammed.”
How often do we hear this? How often do we say it ourselves? Are you in control of your time at work, or do events control you?
Being snowed under is not a badge of honor. It’s stealing your joy, hurting your team, and likely compromising your ability to deliver results. Chronic shortage of time often stems from:
Failure to prioritize
Ineffective planning
Lack of delegation
Throughout my career, when someone asked, “Are you busy?” my answer was always, “Never too busy. What can I do?” And I meant it.
How could that be? It started with a mindset. The more intense things got, the more time I found I could create. That mindset came from relentless prioritization and planning—something I credit to my father, who was an incredible example for me (and is a wonderful dad). No matter how busy, he was always organized, in control and calm.
And he’s in good company. Jeff Bezos is famous for focusing on the few things that matter. Jeff has said, “If I make three good decisions a day, that’s enough”. He also avoids wasting time in low value meetings. Meeting efficiency and effectiveness are at the core of Amazon’s culture.
You might wonder - can I really avoid a meeting if my boss expected me to be there? The answer is yes. It’s all about expectation setting.Even as a young analyst - fresh out of school - I would choose not to attend just in case meetings. As a senior leader in a Fortune 500 company, I typically had the most open calendar on the executive team. Their days were often spent in back-to-back meetings, struggling to find time to get things done.
In the meantime, I was helping my team to deliver high impact output. Less busy. Less stressed. It showed in our results. It showed in Team Spirit. It showed in everyone’s Happiness. And, I’m grateful to say it showed in the career paths of those who were part of my team.
3 Steps to Regaining the Sense of Control
Prioritize constantly. Focus on what truly makes a difference.
Delegate effectively. This could be a book on its own. Done right, your team will grow and you’ll all multiply in impact.
Don’t over-schedule yourself. Say no to just in case meetings. Give yourself open time to think, connect, solve problems and build on ideas that create the next growth wave.
I know it may not feel this way, but taking control of your time is more within your reach than you might realize. You don’t have to be too busy. You just have to take the first step to reclaim your time.Wishing you a happy and healthy 2025!
-simon