There are so many balls in the air. As we start our careers, the balls seem manageable. But then they start increasing. And it doesn’t stop. At some stage, we get to a point where we get that “if I can just…” feeling. If I can just get my mailbox under control. If I can just have one person to do x and another to do y. If I can just restructure my team. If I can just get our strategy drafted, communicated and understood. If I can just (fill in the blank), then I’d be able to breathe and spend time on the important stuff. That feeling, unfortunately, is an illusion. It’s a mirage in the desert – it seems to disappear every time we get within reach.
The solution has two parts to it. Firstly, deciding which balls are going to drop. This will depend on your strategic direction, and will then come down to how you prioritise and what you choose to focus on – knowing that for everything you choose to do, there are other things you choose not to do. Secondly, making peace with the balls that drop. The image that comes to mind is Steve Jobs returning to Apple and discontinuing the majority of their product range to create relentless focus in the company. More than 2 decades later, no one is asking “but what about all of those missed opportunities?”. Let the balls drop, and be at peace with it – because it’s the ones in the air that are going to make a difference.
If you have questions, we’re always keen for coffee.
Get in touch so that we can brainstorm a few solutions together!
