"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." (Proverbs 3: 5-6)
Have you been planning to do something but have not yet started? If so, it is time to stop doing something now to start doing something more important.
Some times, we need to stop doing something to allow time to start doing something else. For instance, if we want to start exercising, we need to look at what we can stop doing to find the time. (Maybe less TV time?) To create a new business, we need to look at what we can stop doing to dedicate more time to business planning. (Maybe stop saying “yes” to everything for a certain amount of time?). If you are not getting through a reasonable “To-Do List,” what can you stop doing to help you accomplish what you need to? Prayerfully consider what you can stop doing now to start those critical projects.
As every work situation is individual, so are the number of “Stops” that will be beneficial.
Consider these following 5 “Stop "Tips:
1. STOP saying “Yes” when your mind and heart say “No.”
Does this sound like you? Many times, we say “yes” when we should be saying “no.” We may feel guilty, feel that we are disappointing someone, or perhaps we have not thought out the logistics of what we are saying “yes” to. Remember, when you say “yes,” you are simultaneously saying “No. Saying “yes” to something you don’t need to do (or should not do) means saying “no” to something or someone else. Saying yes to one more volunteer position, one more unexpected task, or one more social engagement may mean saying “no” to time with God, family, or friends, exercise, rest, adequate sleep, or an unfulfilled dream. What can you say “no” to so you can say “yes” to something else?
2. STOP checking your texts and emails so often.
Determine how often and/or at what time you will check them. Otherwise, you could be checking all day long and this will interfere with your efficiency. When taking time to read a message, you are distracted from the task at hand or tempted to deal with something that is not as important as an item on your “to-do-list”. What change can you make to your email policy?
3. STOP allowing yourself to be constantly interrupted.
There is a fine balance between an “open-door policy” and being constantly available for discussions. Although you want your staff or colleagues to consult with you and not hesitate to do so, there can be different definitions of what is necessary. People who work with you need to be comfortable going to you for input and advice. However, sometimes, things may not necessarily need to be dealt with right away. Set up regular times to meet and have an itinerary of what to discuss. This helps to avoid last minute conversations as the person knows time has been set aside to have any important discussions. What can you do to ensure formal meetings are scheduled with your team?
4. STOP being a perfectionist.
Decide on the outcome you are looking for in a project, estimate the amount of time it will take and carefully analyze if you need to modify your original plan. Be aware of spending more time than necessary or unnecessarily adding to the project. This puts a lot of stress on you and, once again, spending a lot more time for very little improvement is taking away from something else. When you are working on a project, are you setting limits on how long it will take? If not, what can you start to do differently?
5. STOP taking on “just one more thing.”
When you are an entrepreneur, owner, or just love what you do, you may be tempted to start something new while you still have many unfinished projects. That is where taking time for research and development as discussed as one of our “starts” is so important. Work on finishing what you have started, knowing you have set aside a future time to develop that great new idea. What is your process for making sure you do not have too many unfinished projects going on?
Prayerfully consider these five “stop tips.” Is there one that you can start working on this week? Thank God for all your opportunities, and trust Him to provide you with wisdom to know what to do and what not to do.
May God richly bless you this week at work!
Bonny, Christian Women at Work
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