How stopping instead of starting saves you time

It’s so easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of ‘stuff to be done’ — even if you’re organised enough to have a ‘to-do’ list, and even if you manage to get to the end of it (practically unheard of in my household) it doesn’t really matter, because there’s always something more to go on it. So you rarely have a sense of achievement, but have plenty of frustration.

I had to face this this very morning. One of the things that happens to me when there’s a lot to be done, and especially if there’s a deadline, is that I immediately go into ‘practical’ mode, organising in my mind exactly what has to happen when, so that all the jobs get done by the time I want them done.

‘Practical’ mode in my case means starting as quickly as possible on whatever I think is the most important thing to be done, getting it out of the way, and then going immediately onto the next thing. To be fair, this has often worked for me in the past — I’ve got an excellent track record at achieving things, and I’ve often felt proud of being someone who ‘makes things happen’.

But recently I’ve been experimenting with a new way of managing my time. Instead of going head first into my ‘to-do’ list, and working my way down it (or actually, to be honest, picking and choosing things off it, regardless of their importance!) I have started to consider the benefits of stopping first. Yes. Stopping, even before starting on a task.

Even as I write this I can hear my mind screaming in frustration: ‘Don’t be daft, you have masses to do — get on with it!” and ‘This idea of stopping is just stupid, what you really need to do is what you’ve always done, and just do it — like Richard Branson says”. Or even ‘You’ll never manage it, this stopping thing! You’ll be thinking too much, so why bother? Just get on with things, you’ll get there eventually”. You can see how insidious my mind is! And perhaps yours does something similar.

But I’ve been practicing this on and off recently, and again this morning, before writing this very article. And here’s the thing: by being disciplined enough to ignore my mind’s little messages, and sit down on my meditation cushion, light a candle and begin to allow myself to enter into my heart and soul, I create a sacred space for my work to be done in. And that brings magic into it (not to mention a sense of sanity!)

Instead of the frantic energy associated with getting things done, I bring peace and quiet. Instead of fear that I’ll miss a deadline, I bring in a quiet sense of focus that allows the work to be accomplished in often much less time than I thought it would take. Instead of being snappy to people around me when they interrupt, I remember to ask if anyone wants anything of me before I begin my work, and am more patient when interruptions do happen.

Of even more benefit, I have honoured my heart and soul, and therefore the heart and soul of my business too. Mmmm…as I read this I feel nourished in my heart, and that’s what stopping is all about.

And there’s still room for my practical side too, because as well as stopping, I use a prioritisation list (see my article The Placemat Prioritisation Process) which helps me to get clear on what has to be done in the first place. It’s tempting to just use this technique when there’s a lot on; but if you really want to maximise the enjoyment of your working day, then I recommend stopping before you even look at your list.

Every time I do this I have a sense of satisfaction because I’ve honoured my self as well as the jobs needing doing; and guess what — I nearly always experience more time, simply because I stopped first and brought a clearer, stronger, more in touch energy to the work that is beckoning me!

So if you want to experience more time, I recommend trying this out. And let me know what happens…