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The Weekly Winning Thought

How to Lower Your Stress and Increase Your Productivity in 2021

By January 3, 2021No Comments

“Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.”

-John Maeda

How are you doing with that New Year’s resolution you started four days ago? If you have already fallen off the wagon, don’t beat yourself up. You are not alone.

Consider the following statistics from www.StatisticBrain.com:

  • 58% of us will make New Year’s resolutions
  • 73% will stick to them for one week
  • 68% will make it two weeks
  • Only 9% will report success on their resolutions this time next year

The majority of New Year’s resolutions focus on either self-improvement or education. We want to be better so we can behave better. Behavioral change is the desire of our heart, but it’s in conflict with our flesh.

In my role as an executive coach and business consultant, I work with men and women who want to improve their professional and personal lives. I can boil it down to two questions my constituents are asking me:

  • Can you help me be more productive in my work?
  • Can you help me reduce my level of stress?

Yes, I can, but first let’s look at the reasons behind our low productivity and high stress.

The biggest culprit is consumption. We Americans are driven to consume. In fact, consumption made up over two thirds ($13+ trillion) of our $20 trillion-plus gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019; the dollar value of goods and services our country produces. Our problem is that we consume stuff and then the stuff consumes us. Consuming stuff we really don’t need wreaks havoc on our finances and it devours our time. As a result, our productivity decreases and our stress level increases.

What my clients are really asking me to do for them is to help them find more time so they can be more productive without killing themselves in the process. They want to have more margin in their life, which reduces stress and produces joy.

The only way to do this is to simplify your life. And the secret is found in your answers to the following two questions:

    • Question #1 – Will this add value to my life?

    • Question #2 – Will this bring me joy?

This two-step process is something you can exercise every time you are trying to make a decision about whether to add something to your life, like a purchase or a commitment of time. It has been revolutionary for me.

Let’s say you’ve been asked to serve on the board of a non-profit organization whose cause is near and dear to your heart. Your first response might be to say, “sure,” without thinking about the toll it may take on you. Before you jump to “yes,” or agonize over how you’re going to say “no,” ask yourself question #1: Will serving on this board add value to my life? If the answer is “yes,” then do it. If the answer is “no,” then ask yourself question #2: Will serving on this board bring me joy? If it’s “yes,” then do it. If the answer is “no,” then say “no.”

This simple process will save you hours of agonizing time, bringing you clarity in quick fashion so you can move on with your life.

Let’s consider another example, this time focusing on a financial decision, instead of a time commitment. Suppose you say, “I need a new car.” Question #1: Will purchasing this new car add value to my life? If you do not already own a car, the answer is probably “yes.” You’re done – go buy the car. But suppose you already own a car. It has 100,000 miles on it, paid for, works fine, and gets you from one place to the other. You say to yourself, “I need a new car,” when actually you don’t need a new car, you just want a new car. So let’s try question #1 again: “Will this car add value to my life?” Answer: “No, I already have a car that gets me from point A to point B reliably.” Now move on to question #2: “Will a new car bring me joy?” Answer: “Yes, but only for a week or two until I have to make the first payment.” Since the answer is actually “no,” you don’t buy the car, thus avoiding a new monthly payment, higher insurance costs, higher property taxes, buyer’s remorse, etc.

These two questions allow you to cut through all the noise that yells things at you like: “The Smiths bought a new car, we need one, too. I should serve on that board – I hate to tell them ‘no.’” You can also use this exercise for items you’re thinking about discarding or activities from which you are considering retreating. You can use it for every demand on your time that tugs at your productivity and elevates your stress.

For those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, we have Him as our model. He had a ministry that lasted only three years and still took time to get “away by Himself to pray”. He accomplished everything He was commissioned to do by keeping it simple, focusing on two main things; seeking God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. Jesus lived a simple life, yet was highly productive. The scriptures bear no evidence that He was ever stressed out over what to do with His time or money. To the contrary, Jesus was clear and focused with his words and His actions.

I can think of no better resolution this year than for you and I to resolve to asking ourselves, “Does this add value to my life, and/or will this bring me joy,” for every expenditure of time and money that presents itself. This will lead to quick, principled decisions that will make our lives simpler, less stressful, and more productive. A simpler life will actually give you and I more time to focus on somebody other than ourselves. If we do this, we will become more like Jesus. Wow, how about that for a resolution? Becoming more like Jesus!

Play to win this week in the game that really counts!

Are you a business owner, executive, or other professional looking to grow your business and improve your life? If so, see how Bill and his firm might be able to help you: Northstar Leadership