A few weeks ago we introduced you to the bad side of collaboration: the collaborative overload that has led so many of us into a nonstop burnout cycle before we could realize what was happening. We asked you to take a good, long look in the mirror and ask yourself, “Why do I take on too much? Why is it so hard for me to say ‘no’?” Getting to the root of your “why” is the first step in reducing collaborative overload, so if you missed the first part in this series, start there. Once you understand your “why”, you can begin to tackle your “what” in taking tactical steps to reduce unnecessary collaboration.
Stop Collaborating and Listen To Yourself
Collaboration, on the surface, is good. But the reality is that collaboration and burnout have become inextricably linked. As organizations have become increasingly focused on constant innovation, communication, and output, employees have been required to collaborate with colleagues and external stakeholders more than ever before. Time for deep, focused, individual work is gone – which leads many employees to feel like they can never get anything done. Which leads us to ask the question –
Goal: Make Time My Friend Again
Over the past year, I have consistently felt overwhelmed by the amount of things I needed to tackle in a day. It has been as though each day suspiciously gets 5 minutes shorter, and I am unable to finish my perpetual to-do list.This is no way to live.
So I am trying to identify some ways to better manage my time—a skill that I feel like I once had, but has now escaped me as my plate has become more full. This is not a guide on how to do it right, but rather, a look into my attempts at course correcting.