Whether you are a player, coach, administrator, parent or have a vested interest in a team or game, we know the busyness associated with this time of year. It can amplify certain parts of our personal or professional lives for better or worse. During the busiest times of the year, it is common to experience an increase in workload, travel, hours spent at the office, as well as other countless responsibilities and duties associated with this portion of the season. Since the demands can be felt immediately, it is paramount to understand how the increasing rigors can affect you personally and can sometimes leave you overwhelmed and off-track if not managed effectively.
The inspiration for this blog stems from a New York Times Best Selling Author, Tim Ferriss’, podcast The Tribe of Mentors. During the episode “Discipline Equals Freedom,” Tim interviews retired U.S. Navy Seal Jocko Willink. During the interview Tim prompts Jocko with the question “When you are feeling overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?” Jocko immediately responds by saying, “prioritize and execute…take a step back, detach from the mayhem, look at the situation, assess the multitude of tasks and choose the one that will have the biggest impact and execute on that.”
During your busiest seasons, it is inevitable your to-do list will grow, the calendar will fill up and unexpected items will need to be addressed but do not let that steer you off course! By having a structured framework in place, similar to Willink’s, you will have already set yourself up for success even before the grind begins.
In conjunction with the insight provided by a retired U.S. Navy Seal, below are additional recommendations to help you stay the course during the busier times of the year:
- Frequently revisit SMART goals: In an attempt to stay on track with what you initially set out to do, frequently review your SMART goals to help you identify if certain tasks or decisions are moving you closer towards your goal.
- Prioritize your day: Identify which tasks are the highest priority and structure your day in a way that will provide you the best opportunity to accomplish the items at the top of your list.
- Rely on your personal board of directors: Seek insight from these strategic partners as to how they handle the “busy” season. Also, use this group as a means to help keep you accountable to the objectives you set out to do initially.