E-mail, meetings, due dates, family commitments, financial decisions … is every day an endless cycle of important tasks? A never-ending checklist? Are you exhausted at the end of each day yet feel like nothing was completed?

Or worse — do you wake up every morning exhausted and overwhelmed thinking of the day ahead? There must be a better way.

Thankfully, there is!

Time studies reveal that most people are not in control of their time, operating in crisis mode, being reactive versus proactive. Let’s look at one of the most common time problems, Crisis Mode Management. “Do first, manage second, communicate third!” And, if they have time, they plan and set goals. Yet people rarely find extra time for goal-setting and planning.

Sounds a bit backwards, doesn’t it? Author Robert McKain said it well, “The reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first.” 

What results does Crisis Mode Management create? Lack of focus, confusion, burn out, frustration, and anger. Worrying leads to indecision and decreased productivity, which leads to fatigue and a poor self-image. Less available for better opportunities, people trade short-term satisfaction for long-term problems. 

Stop working in Crisis Mode!

Take time today to name your time and energy wasters. Do any of these feel familiar? Ineffective planning, trying too much at once, unnecessary or unproductive meetings, physical and mental disorganization? What about saying “yes” when you’d rather say “no” out of a false sense of obligation? Do you lack self-discipline, procrastinate, or struggle with indecision and mindless scrolling? 

In the office, crisis mode can happen because of inefficient procedures, untrained or inadequate staff, red tape, unclear or ineffective communication or a lack of information and resources for the task at hand. 

If we can increase our productivity and our quality of life by spending time on High Pay Activities (HPAs), then what prevents us from doing them? Take time to evaluate your procedures to see that you are doing things efficiently and not simply the way you’ve always done them. Use these common time-wasters as a jumping off point to evaluate where you are functioning in crisis mode and not power mode. The good news is that as you begin to organize and perform around your goals and HPAs, you will find that you spend less and less time on crises.

What are the five most critical challenges at work that prevent you from spending time on your HPAs? Rank them and set a goal to solve them. Start a Journal of Time-Wasters, listing them as they attack you. Create a To-Don’t list of tasks, rituals, and meetings that you should never waste time on again. Then stick to it! Being able to distinguish between urgent versus important is critical to success in every area of life.

You retain 80 percent of what you see, hear, and write. So, pick up the pen to connect promising ideas with positive action. Share what you are learning and encourage others. Imagine the productivity in your personal life and the professional gains when you spread positivity and good practices around. 

Having a positive mental attitude and being open to change will help you get out of crisis mode and maximize your productivity. You deserve to get control of your time, your life, and your business. Get started today by visiting Achievable.com for more on goal-setting and strategies for your business and personal life.