Let’s Bring More Purposefulness To Our Business To Increase Growth This Year

When I recall our pre-pandemic times, I am struck by how endlessly busy everyone used to be – myself included. Truth be told I’m still busy but not doing the same things. Pre-pandemic we were travelling non-stop for business and pleasure. Meeting for coffee, lunch and dinner. Hosting events and personal dinner parties. Not to mention those with children were carting kids around to after school and weekend events. It is as if the pandemic forced a collective and much-needed time out.

The Non-Resolution Reality

Now that I’ve had a little time to reflect – not much, but enough – and now that things are turning around and the busyness is creeping up again, I’ve been considering how I really spend my time. Also, with the fresh New Year just launched, I’ve been musing about how New Year’s resolutions seem to have been motivated by the constant busyness. I mean, those grand resolutions sound important but they add another layer of required action which tends to fizzle out before the end of January.

It seems we are living in a “non-resolution” reality. The talk of resolutions adds to the busyness, the buzz, if you will. But how we actually spend our time simply doesn’t allow for that one thing that we make noise about at the beginning of every year!! (I’m talking about myself! If you identify, well, then, read on!)

Trapped In Busyness Instead Of Purposefulness

I read an article recently entitled the Busy Trap. The author states that most people are “busy because of their own ambition or drive or anxiety, because they’re addicted to busyness and dread what they might have to face in its absence.” This perspective really hit home for me. It talked about how we don’t take control of our time. We might think otherwise, but most of us are not moving throughout our days with purpose. We let other “forces” take time away from our day. We let pop-up news alerts, Facebook and emails interrupt and distract us. Or we allow ourselves to get caught up in the minutia of the day instead of spending time deliberately on things that really matter, things that could really help our businesses grow. I was amazed when in the early days of the pandemic people had time to binge-watch movies. I wasn’t one of them. I’m not saying my days are always filled with purpose, they certainly aren’t, but I know they could be more purposeful.

I Propose Replacing Busyness With Purposefulness To Grow Our Business

I bet you wonder how to do that, right? I get it. For me, the first step is becoming aware of how I really spend my time. If I catch myself going down the social media rabbit hole, I stop, get out of it and think about what I could be doing instead. Basically the first step to any kind of change is awareness. So we have to become keenly aware of what we do in any given day. What is a more purposeful activity that you can engage in that will contribute to the growth of your business? Can you call a prospect? Finish a report? Maybe, in light of all the changes the pandemic has caused you can think up a new way to serve your customers?

Busyness or business? That is the question. I choose business and growth and awareness moving forward. And, no, I’m not christening this decision with the name of “resolution”. But that just might be due to the fact that it’s February! And past the fizzle out point! I hope you’ll join me in deciding to be more purposeful to grow your business in this new and almost post-pandemic world!

If you want to read the Busy Trap here’s the link.
https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/