What does “busy” actually mean? It’s become an unspoken rule in business that the word “busy” is the equivalent to “success.” However, just because there is a lot of work to be done, does not mean the work is worthwhile. The culture of “busy” needs to change. Here are some ideas which may have you reassess the way you look at your workload.
Get Things Done, Don’t Work for Work’s Sake
Being busy implies that one is a hard worker, but hard work isn’t always required. Streamlining, automating, or delegating a task can significantly increase efficiency. Getting things done is more important than actually doing them. The best managers can be the ones who do the least. If one’s job is to oversee the work of others, then lack of interference is the sign of tightly designed management model.
Let’s imagine you have a two hundred page word document. In this document, you need to find every instance of the word “widget” and replace it with the word “doodad.” You could handle this task yourself, or you could use Microsoft Word’s built in “find and replace” function which will handle it for you. Take a moment to compare the drastic difference in the time it would take to complete each option. In this case the automation might not have been very complicated, but it still requires one to realize it is an option.
You Could Be Spending Your Time on the Wrong Stuff
What are you currently spending your time on? Do you know why you’re doing it? Sometimes certain tasks or obligations end up becoming “filler”—tasks which end up taking time without any clear return. This can be easily avoided by stopping to analyze a new time commitment. Do you immediately feel excited it? If not, then the best answer is probably no.
It is important to understand when something is truly necessary and when something simply feels that way. This often occurs in the context of social events. Everyone has gone to at least one event just to “make an appearance.” If going to that event has no clear benefit, then it makes more sense to not go at all. If your time can be more efficiently spent elsewhere, then take the alternative option.
Being Occupied Is Different From Being Busy
Let’s say that your schedule is completely booked. So long as you are on time and in control of your workload, you are occupied rather than busy. If you are busy, then you have more responsibilities than you have time. A responsible and professional individual should never bite off more than they can chew.
Compare a clown juggling bowling pins to a sniper staking out a target. Which one of the two would you consider “busy?” The sniper appears to be doing nothing, however he is focused and set on accomplishing a goal. The person juggling might seem very impressive, but he is not actually getting anything done. The sniper is occupied, while the juggler is busy. One is a professional and the other is a circus act.
This often happens in your business’s advertising plan. For example, you are a restaurant and have monthly events to generate exposure and expand your clientele by offering a prix fixe menu with wine pairings. To get the word out, you designed a flyer which is passed out at your restaurant. This is busy work. If your goal is to bring in new customers, you wouldn’t want to hand out a flyer to your already existing customers. Perhaps you could be efficient and generate buzz through social media, or your local TV and radio stations; this way your restaurant can reach potential diners. Instead of spending busy time with your advertising efforts, become more efficient and allow your business to grow. Your efforts are well-intended, but if you did not achieve your goals of new clients coming to your restaurant and generating revenue, then you are losing energy and money.
Summary
What are you actually accomplishing with your advertising budget? If you find yourself constantly exhausted after a campaign only to have nothing to show for it, then you are unnecessarily busy. Pay attention to the results you want to achieve, and then devise a plan to accomplish your end goal. By understanding the destination with your advertising, the path becomes easier to map out.