Why We Like to Be Busy
Have you ever noticed that most of us are constantly on a chase? We chase after many things, usually seeking the high that comes from a new object, a new feeling, a new emotion. If it’s shiny and new, we want it whether it’s a new gadget, a new buzz, a new love interest, or a new discovery. Ok, so what’s wrong with seeking out new things? Isn’t that fun? Shouldn’t we be able to have a little fun? Yes, of course. The problem is when you seek out new things compulsively in ways that actually keep you from living the life you really want.
The Chase – Good and Bad
Desiring “The Chase” is a good thing that naturally drives us forward in life. It compels us towards our goals, meeting a spouse, having a family, starting a business, creating things, and more. It becomes detrimental when we don’t apply forethought to our actions. Examples are overspending on things we don’t need, getting involved in affairs, abusing drugs, and wasting time seeking out new and complex methods or tools when we already have ones that are simple and that work. On the last example, I think it is important to explore new ideas, but we must constantly check ourselves to keep this in balance. “Am I procrastinating, or do am I truly in need of a new idea, method, tool?”
How to Free Yourself from Compulsive Chasing and Live Your Dream Life
Compulsive chasing can often be a result of not knowing what to do next. Our goals are unclear, unprioritized. Our life is full of physical and mental clutter so we try to escape this chaos through chasing the shiny and new. To stop this cycle I’ve put together a process to get you on track to clear out the clutter and obtain focus. To do this, I suggest taking 1-2 days off to organize your life. You may be thinking,”I can’t do that!!” Ah, but you can! Think back to times when you’ve been sick and couldn’t perform home and work duties. The world goes on without us. So take some time for yourself now. You work hard and deserve to clear out mental and physical clutter so you can live the life of your dreams!
The “Organize Your Life” Process
The goal of this process is to declutter your world and mind, and then organize things, ideas, and goals so that you can live a purposeful life, one in which you are not just merely “busy” but engaged, excited, and living out your dreams. This process is meant to be modified by you so that it works best for you. These are just guidelines.
1. Prework: Read Getting Things Done by David Allen. Here is a Pocket Mod GTD cheatsheet to use as a guide. Another great place to learn a similar approach is Zen To Done over at ZenHabits.net.
2. Tools you may need: Files, Filing Drawer/Container, In-Basket, Notebook, Calendar, and Tickler/Reminder File/Tool. You probably have most of these already. Don’t feel like you need to get fancy. Simple is best when it comes to tools. These tools can be physical and/or electronic. Whatever system is easiest and most intuitive for you, use that.
3. First plan the Big Things you want to accomplish during your time. Examples might be:
- Clear out clutter in office (2 hours)
- Create places to put things to be donated, sold, or trashed (10 minutes)
- Organize papers, files, and reference items (2 hours)
- Create plan to declutter whole house over next 6 six weeks (15 minutes)
- Work on Goal Setting and Goal Implementation Planning and/or Goal Simplification (1-2 hours)
- Take action on first steps of my top 1-3 goals ( 2 hours)
- Plan my next steps -schedule it into calendar, tickler file or to-do reminder system(5 minutes)
- Plan when I will do my weekly review (5 minutes)
4. I suggest De-Clutter as a first physical action step. Here is a guide on how to De-Clutter. When in doubt throw it out. But don’t get too carried away and throw out things that you really might need especially if they are expensive. Simply find a “home” for those things. Don’t aim for perfection, just aim for Big Progress. Don’t let the little things bog you down. If you get stuck making a decision on an item, put it into your “review in 6 months pile” and move on to the next thing. Keep moving to make the most of your time.
5. Put stuff into piles:
- Trash
- To be sold (schedule in how/when you will sell this stuff so you ensure you’ll do it. If you don’t have a lot of time for this, then either delegate that task to a local ebay seller or donate it)
- To be Donated (load this stuff right into your car, or put near the front door if you’re having it picked up)
- To be Reviewed in 6 months (for things you can’t decide on)
6. Organize your papers, files, books, things, and other reference materials. If items are associated with actions, write it down in your capture notebook and put the item in it’s place or trash if not needed. If items are reference, then file them or put them in their “home.” If you need to be reminded of a reference item, put that on your capture list too and put the item away.
7. Process your In-Box of papers and your Capture list. Assign tasks to projects, your next-action list (I still call it a To-Do List), and into reminder tools like calendar, reminder programs, or tickler files.
8. Goal Setting, Goal Planning, and Goal Simplifying. This will get you focused onto how to live out your dream life. Check out these three guides for Goal Management. I suggest doing them in this order. If time is short, just do #2.
- Ultimate Goal Setting Guide + Free Download
- Wrestling with Your Goals? (Goal Planning & Management)
- Simplifying Your Goals
This exercise will take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours depending on how detailed you want to get. It will give you direction and focus. You’ll know what to do next. The clutter in your mind will be gone. You’ll no longer be “busy” chasing new things for the sake of chasing, but rather you’ll be journeying towards your dreams. This journey is the most useful way to channel the primal desire to chase. And eventually I would suggest cultivating a shift in your perception from “chasing dreams” to “living my dreams.”
9. Take action on at least one step you’ve identified in your goal planning to get the ball rolling. And plan the next few as well. This will make you feel great!
10. Commit to daily and weekly planning and periodic De-Cluttering.
- Daily planning: Plan your day realistically by assigning the amount of time it takes to complete a task. Then work your way down from hardest task to easiest!
- Weekly Planning: Capture ideas onto paper, Process In-Box, Review Goals, project lists, to-do lists, upcoming calendar, previous calendar week for missed items, and generally tidy up desk and other major areas.
- Periodic De-Cluttering. Choose a frequency that works for you and set reminders into your calendar. And then do it!
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