I want to cite lessons I gleaned from another gem from the Harvard Business School Press that offers some important insights for everyone, especially job seekers who are starting to feel the stress. CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! Strategies for Coping in a World Gone ADD is a book by Edward R. Hallowell, an M.D. who has drawn some interesting parallels between today’s overworked and over stimulated professionals and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). It’s time to shelve the crazy, reassess the busy, and reclaim our work/life balance.
Hallowell’s basic premise is that trying to keep pace in today’s work world is virtually impossible. Everyone is overextended. We are all working while commuting, in the evenings, on weekends. I, myself, can’t find enough time to meet my obligations; I spent a good portion of last weekend e-mailing networking introductions for NETSHARE members whom I had spoken with on my strategy calls.
No one has time to do what they need or want to do – and it’s easier to get insights from this blog or a book abstract than to actually read the book, right? As a result, even people who don’t have ADD suffer the symptoms – feeling overloaded, having trouble tracking and completing projects, feeling frustrated and impatient.
One interesting finding is that the Internet and television may create the illusion that you are connected with millions of people. In reality, e-mail and virtual contact can isolate you because they limit the opportunity for live social interaction. Studies show that isolation can be damaging to your health, like high blood pressure or smoking. Think about that the next time you are sitting up at night trying to make online connections.
Dr. Hallowell offers some interesting observations about busyness and how it feeds our emotional state. If you are in a state called “flow” everything is humming; you are focused and productive. But then you can be overwhelmed when the flow energy start to control you, rather than you remaining in control. Hallowell a number of doubled-edged elements of modern life’s productivity tools:
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“The Rush” – gadgets, tricks, and timesavers can increase your productivity, until they start taking over.
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“The gush” – avoid being overwhelmed by the avalanche of incoming information by focusing on the bits you need; tune out the trivia.
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“The worry” – free yourself from ongoing anxiety so you can see the real danger signals.
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“The blather and clutter” – tame the avalanche of stuff that is creating physical and mental overload by being selective.
Hallowell also talks about the “new monsters” that are arising and should be avoided at all costs. I won’t offer a complete list, but here are a few of my favorites. (See how many you can identify with):
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Screensucking – Squandering time in front of a TV or computer screen.
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EMV – The E-mail Voice that is a dead giveaway that you are talking to someone who is not paying attention to you but is reading his or her e-mail.
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Gigaguilt – Guilt at not being able to juggle and keep track of everything.
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Morning Burst – That best time of the time when you can get a lot done, and that turns into Morning Bust if you don’t uses your time effectively.
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Info Addict – Someone who just can’t be unplugged (beware you Blackberry bearers).
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Frazzing – Unsuccessful multitasking; and ALL multitasking is unsuccessful.
There are a number of other life lessons offered by Dr. Hallowell in this book, and a number of ideas. The most important take-away is understanding that by examining your “to do” list and prioritizing what is important, what’s not, and being in touch with your personal needs and desires, you can regain control over your busyness. One of the bigger insights that resonated with me is if you are overwhelmed by your everyday tasks, it obscures a profound question – What to you REALLY want to do with the time you have left on earth?
Take a moment and think about it.
