My friend recently repeated this phrase to me in response to a story I told him. \u00a0He finds perverse pleasure in doing that, since I coined the phrase some time ago. \u00a0 He likes to repeat it back to me, to use it as a talisman, and to reference it as if some great philosopher spoke it a thousand years ago. \u00a0My friend makes it clear that the concept is not something he hadn’t considered, but rather that it is spelled out so simply.<\/p>\n
That’s what people do – they find the time to do what they really want. \u00a0I’m not suggesting that we have complete control over every moment, and at any second on a whim we just do what feels good. \u00a0However, we do have a lot more control than we let on. \u00a0And sometimes we have more control than we will admit, and then comes the excuses.<\/p>\n
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It becomes obvious once you are aware of it. \u00a0When someone says “I’d love to but I have to do blank instead” that’s usually a flag. \u00a0 People in sales know this, and have many ways to work around it. \u00a0Most of these ways are not very effective, because the person in question\u00a0just doesn’t\u00a0want to do it.<\/p>\n
When you become aware that others do that it gives you a window into their priorities. \u00a0It can also cause you to be a bit offended – I’d love to see you but I just washed my hair and can’t do a thing with it. \u00a0 <\/em>\u00a0(hey!)<\/p>\n This same friend has taken it upon himself to call out some people on this. \u00a0He found out, the hard way, that people do not like to be called out on this. \u00a0Understandably, like many things that make up our psyche, it is part of a complex structure of protective layers.\u00a0Like all things ingrained in you\u00a0it is there for a reason. \u00a0Sometimes the reason is silly, sometimes it’s not. \u00a0Usually it’s protected by safety measures that can kick in when questioned.<\/p>\n I’m not at all suggesting that you question your friends, family and acquaintances every time they are not available – “What are you doing instead…? \u00a0AHA!<\/em>” \u00a0Unless you want a lot less friends, family and acquaintances.<\/p>\n But that is\u00a0where the fun begins. For my friend, it’s the fun of seeing the look of recognition and uncomfortableness. \u00a0For me it’s the realization and ‘aha’ moment they get – it’s the moment I just handed the steering wheel back to them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We do this all the time in the workplace too: we find the time to do the things we want to do. \u00a0 That’s when we assess what we are doing, and what we’d rather be doing. \u00a0The difference is that in the workplace what we want to do<\/em> is replaced by what we are supposed to be doing<\/em>. \u00a0In some cases those things are done in compliance with what fits with the mission statement, the culture and the job description. \u00a0 In other cases it is what is needed to get the job done effectively, and in other cases those are one in the same (mission, culture and job description define the things that get the job done effectively, productively and competitively). \u00a0We give it labels\u00a0like Time Management, Process Improvement and Prioritization.<\/p>\n In other cases, unfortunately, it truly is what the person wants<\/em> to do – being on Facebook, surfing the web, streaming netflix, shopping, handling personal business via endless calls and emails. \u00a0 Let’s just assume that you’re not one of these people and never speak of this again. \u00a0\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n As I was saying, in business we accept what we are supposed to be doing, sometimes begrudgingly, but it is accepted nonetheless. \u00a0 We know that one thing is supposed to take priority over another, and often times we have a manager that will remind us of this. \u00a0In fact, your\u00a0job may be to in part or in whole to keep others on track in this way, with you being the leader and effective coach\u00a0of the team.<\/p>\n In our private lives we\u00a0are much more territorial about this, and we develop protective justifications. \u00a0In business we can’t or aren’t supposed to develop these justifications because this prioritization is part of the job. \u00a0Of course that doesn’t stop many from finding ways to still develop protective justifications for not doing what they are supposed to be doing. \u00a0That’s what gages the effectiveness of some employees – their ability to be doing just what they are ‘supposed to be doing’ at any given moment. \u00a0And that’s what sometimes defines an employee who is not so effective – they tend to focus on the wrong things, in the wrong order, etc. \u00a0Their manager has to spend a lot of time refocusing them on a task they should<\/em> be doing instead of what\u00a0they are<\/em> doing.<\/p>\n Having the autonomy of working on just what you are supposed to is a valuable and underrated\u00a0asset.<\/p>\nThe workplace is different<\/h2>\n
So what then?<\/h2>\n
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