Often, being busy, busy, busy with everything under the sun is perceived as making someone highly successful. The more you can juggle, the better you are, right? Wrong.

Just because you have the drive to try and do everything for everyone does not at all mean that you should. In her latest newsletter, Elizabeth describes how one of her coaching client’s “successes” actually held him back. Check out Elizabeth’s article below to see how you can be succesful, and still feel in control. To work-life brilliance!

When Joe reached out to me this February…

He had a lot going for him such as:

• A cool job at a small biotech company
• A lot of flexibility in his hours
• Tons of variety in his work, including some graphic design
• Dogs and cats that made him happy
• Volunteer opportunities with a local political organization

The only problem was that he couldn’t enjoy any of it because he constantly felt overloaded. As Joe said in his initial e-mail to me:

“I know I have so much potential, but I try to make everyone happy, and I lose out. I think the better I get at things, the less time I have. Now I’m getting too good, and I’m suffering for it. It feels like some kind of ceiling…

I never have time for anything. What would you recommend for me?”

After completing a free phone consultation with Joe to make sure that I understood his situation, I recommended my three-month time coaching program. Joe agreed that it was exactly what he needed.

During these weekly sessions, we worked through my proven  Schedule Makeover^TM system. Each week was an opportunity to talk through a challenge and develop a custom solution for Joe to implement such as daily planning, taking time for exercise, getting to bed earlier or having time for friends on the weekends.

“I can’t believe the program went by so fast and how small, incremental changes really made a difference in my thought process about being organized.

I learned not to be so hard on myself and that I don’t have to be so strict about organizing. There is a gray area where I do have a choice on whether I adhere to fixed schedules or not. That made the process a WHOLE lot less stressful.

I also really realized how irrational the procrastinating ‘voices’ are and how being more organized and more focused can not only make my life less stressful but also the lives of those around me.”

Following his initial three-month program where we established much of the basic structure, Joe chose to sign up for my flexible continuing coaching option. Joe used these sessions at three-week intervals for accountability as he strengthened his new habits and for the opportunity to talk through “refinements.”

For instance during a recent session, we discussed how he was doing better at setting reasonable turn-around deadlines when he received requests through e-mail. But when someone asked him for something in person, his knee jerk response was to always agree to something on a short deadline.

We talked through what was going on below the surface and developed a better “knee-jerk” response. Here’s what we came up with that still made Joe seem approachable but gave him time to think through his answer about projects:

“If you send me the details in an e-mail, it will be easier for me to give you a definite answer. Does that sound reasonable?”

I’m really proud of Joe for the changes he’s made in his life, not only in being effective at work but in not burning out so he can enjoy life outside the office. At the conclusion of his flexible coaching program this month, he’ll be wrapping up coaching but continue to have the support of his new time management routines.

“Work has been less stressful, and I’ve been more productive and efficient. I worry less about missing something important. I get more exercise by walking the dogs more often, and I’m working on things that I had put off for months or even years…

Having gone from disorganized and stressed to sane and more relaxed, I honestly don’t know what could have made the experience any better…”

I’m super proud of Joe and my other coaching clients like him who have worked with me on the transformation from burnt-out to brilliant.

May this give you hope that change is possible for you too!

To your brilliance!

Elizabeth

 

About Real Life E®

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is the founder and CEO of Real Life E® a time coaching and training company that empowers individuals who feel guilty, overwhelmed and frustrated to feel peaceful, confident and accomplished through an exclusive Schedule Makeover^TM process. Real Life E® also increases employee productivity, satisfaction and work/life balance through custom training programs.

Elizabeth has appeared in Inc magazine, The Chicago Tribune, and on NBC. She was selected as one of the Top 25 Amazing Women of 2010 by Stiletto Woman and as a member of the Young Entrepreneurs Council featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Mashable, and many other media outlets.