| y"> | | | | Interestingly, my files are filled cases of clients |
| In cubicles and corner offices across the land, | | | | who significantly improved their work lives, and in |
| people are bombarded with so many "urgent" | | | | a number of instances actually wound up earning |
| demands that they're literally not giving their | | | | more money while working fewer hours. They did |
| brains time to think. Speeding through the day in a | | | | it by giving themselves some breathing room and |
| constant state of adrenaline-fueled arousal - | | | | by deciding to change the way they viewed their |
| answering voice mails, emails, and beepers; | | | | situations. |
| checking cell phones and PDAs - isn't just bad for | | | | When we're overwhelmed, we tend to think along |
| the nervous system. It lowers productivity, | | | | the lines of how to get more and more done, |
| creativity, and innovation. | | | | instead of setting reasonable expectations. One |
| The growing confusion between being in motion | | | | way to reduce tension and stress is to bargain on |
| and actually accomplishing something has even led | | | | a deadline ("I can get it done on Tuesday if I get |
| to a new syndrome called Attention Deficit Trait, | | | | 3 hours of administrative help"). Another is to |
| or ADT. It happens when we try to assimilate | | | | politely decline extra requests from colleagues |
| too much information too quickly, sending our | | | | ("I've love to help, but can't consider taking on |
| brains into "overload," and ourselves into a chronic | | | | anything else until the 10th"). A third is to re- |
| state of "distractibility, inner frenzy, and | | | | prioritize as conditions change ("If Project A is |
| impatience."1 | | | | critical, I'll move the deadline for Project B out one |
| A growing body of research shows that thrashing | | | | week"). |
| around adversely affects our brain chemistry. In | | | | It is also imperative to question beliefs such as, "If |
| Working with Emotional Intelligence, Daniel | | | | I don't work 10 hour days, I'll be fired" ... "In this |
| Goleman explains that when people are worried, | | | | economy, I'm lucky to have any job" ... "People |
| angry, frustrated or under other types of | | | | who don't work weekends don't get promoted" |
| negative stress, the brain goes into "survival | | | | and others that make it easy to justify staying |
| mode," and "...falls back on simple, highly familiar | | | | stuck. Assumptions influence what we perceive, |
| routines and responses and puts aside complex | | | | how we feel, and the actions we take. Again and |
| thought, creative insight, and long-term planning. | | | | again I've seen magic happen once someone |
| The focus is the urgent present - or the crisis of | | | | decides to believe that something different is |
| the day." 2 | | | | possible. |
| Much as people lament the panicked scrambling to | | | | Ironically, slowing down will enable you to get a lot |
| get the next task done, most feel powerless to | | | | more done, and to enjoy the process more as |
| really change their circumstances in a meaningful | | | | well, which alone will set the stage for working |
| way. They nod approvingly at common-sense | | | | smarter. |
| advice about breaking large tasks into small steps, | | | | 1 "Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People |
| leaving the office early once a week for dinner | | | | Underperform," by Edward M. Hallowell, Harvard |
| with the family, and getting enough sleep, but | | | | Business Review, January, 2005. |
| somehow can't motivate themselves to follow | | | | 2 Working with Emotional Intelligence, © |
| through. | | | | 1998 by Daniel Goleman, Bantam Books, page 74. |