Do you panic any time someone asks to reschedule? You’ve got your days meticulously planned out and there’s no time in the next month you could possibly fit their “rescheduled” meeting! This could be a sign that you’re stretching yourself too thin and you’ve got your life over-scheduled.
If you can say yes to four or more of the following, you may need to slow down your pace.
1. You have no time in between meetings.
Are you scheduling your appointments with just five minute breaks between them? That’s not the way to success! You’ve got to have some downtime between meetings to think over what just went down, make a few notes, send a few emails, and most importantly, prep for whatever you’re walking into next. You can’t parade into your next meeting completely unprepared, your head still swirling with your last encounter’s outcomes. Not only will you look unprofessional, but you’ll be much less likely to accomplish anything worthwhile.
2. You have a reputation for being late.
Now this will get you into trouble. No one, and I mean no one, appreciates a coworker or colleague who repeatedly shows up late, regardless of the excuse. Time is money and if you show up late for meetings, you are wasting everyone’s money. Does this sound like you? Are you constantly 10 to 15 minutes late because you’re racing from one meeting to the next?
3. You’re not getting your work done.
If you are over-scheduled, there’s no way you’re getting all of your work done – because there’s just not enough time in the day! Being over-scheduled is no way to live, and it’s certainly not the way to success. Keep in mind that completing your work should be your endgame, not the number of meetings and appointments you make it to. Only schedule what you can feasibly attend while getting your work done on time.
4. You’re frazzled and the mention of another meeting makes you panic.
If you’re scrambling from one thing to the next and want to sit in the corner and cry at the thought of one more appointment…you’re over-scheduled.
5. You just can’t say “No.”
Are you a “yes” person? You already know it if you are. People ask you a favor, ask for your help, ask you to join them on a project, and you can’t say no. More than likely, you are over-scheduled, overwhelmed and over it.
The takeaway
So if you were able to own up four or more of this checklist, it’s likely you are an over-scheduled businessperson. And it’s also likely it will do you a great deal of good to take a step back, relax, and consider scheduling fewer meetings throughout the day.
Staff Writer, Abigail White is a wordsmith who hails from the Deep South, having graduated with a degree in Journalism from Auburn University. She is usually reading three books at once, loves history, sarcasm, and arguing over the Oxford comma.
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