We’re all busy at all times. You are not busier than everybody else, so be smart when it comes to scheduling your time. Leave enough room for inevitable and unexpected events. When you cannot or did not do something, be sincere and straightforward about your reasons, and just stop telling people that you’re busier than them because this is just an excuse. In this article, we’ll teach you ways to have better communication when you are not available without relying on the common “I’m busy” excuse.
We will begin by sharing with you ways to prepare for the unforeseen, and you will learn things you should expect when you cannot control your priorities. Then, we will explain how to deal with a situation that is making you look bad. Next, we will discuss why honesty is truly the best policy and why delivery is equally as vital and conclude with the understanding that you are not the only one busy in this world; so is everyone else. After you’ve finished reading, you’ll be able to have better communication when you are not available without relying on the common “I’m busy” excuse.
1. Preparing For The Unexpected
You might be wondering about unplanned items that require moving to the top of the to-do list. They will take place. They always do. Prioritize scheduling all the things that you know you have to do. Then, save them on the calendar, and keep your appointments.
However, the most important thing is that you set aside some free time. Get this right. We are not implying that you allocate leisure time on the calendar. We’re saying that you leave room on your calendar for unplanned tasks. You’ll never get everything done by scheduling 100% of your time; however, you just might when you only schedule 60%.
2. When You Can’t Control Priorities
You probably really cannot control your priorities. Maybe you wanted to do a particular thing but simply couldn’t. Something uncontrollable probably stole away your time.
We can only sympathize with this. Anything that can keep your family comfortable, happy, and safe, maintain a roof over your head, or put food on your table should always be a priority. Honesty is the only thing that you can ensure in such situations.
3. When You Look Bad
What if an officemate not doing something is adversely impacting your reputation? This is why the world invented bosses. If you are not the forgetter and if your reputation is being hurt by the forgetter, then begin by being honest with that person.
In case listening becomes an issue, go over their head. This is not deceiving. Even though you have been transparent, you ought to finish your priorities, and your work should represent you.
4. When You Need To Be Honest
It may be tough to be honest because the truth can be hurtful to the person receiving the message. There is no way that you can get around the thought that a particular thing was not done because your thing is not as crucial as that other thing. This can be very difficult to hear.
What can you do? If that particular thing that did not happen should’ve been of more importance, then you messed up. You should accept and learn from it, and if that particular thing that did not happen wasn’t of more importance to you, who cares? The other person should get over it; generally, honest, real scenarios tend to work themselves out a lot better than deceiving and conniving ones. There is no reason to be mean, but make sure that you tell it as it is.
5. When Choosing Where You Spend Your Time
Although someone’s time might be financially more valuable than someone else’s, humanitarianism demonstrates that it is never qualitatively more valuable. And because we are equal, then every person’s time is equally vital, isn’t it? Choosing where you can spend your time only means that you are choosing your priorities. Guess what? It’s alright to have priorities.
Honesty is crucial. You had priorities you needed to finish, or you got a prior engagement, or you probably allowed something to slip through the cracks. It can be acceptable and humanizing to admit guilt, provided you only mess up occasionally. The honesty approach is prudent. Let everyone involved in that scenario be on the same page, and life will be much easier.
6. When Balancing Work And Life
Whenever you say, “I have been busy,” do you understand what you are saying? For some, this could mean that there is something hidden. It might also mean that you’re working more than them. And although that might be true, there’s an issue. We’re living in a world where the balance between work and our lives is of more importance (or, at the very least, is becoming more important) compared to work or status.
Balance simply means that the two (life and work) are on a level playing field. In other words, they’re equally vital. Being busy simply means that you’re doing something. And honestly speaking, breathing is also doing something, so we are all busy. Here is how that popular excuse is translated into modern language: “I apologize I couldn’t; I was doing a more crucial thing.”
You’re very wrong if you think that you’re busier than the other person – we’re all busy at all times. The prudent thing to do is to be smart when it comes to scheduling your time. Inevitable and unexpected events need to be prepared for. It would be best to be sincere and straightforward when you cannot or did not do something and just stop telling people that you’re busier than them because this is just an excuse. In this article, we’ve taught you ways to have better communication when you are not available without relying on the common “I’m busy” excuse.
For starters, you’ve learned ways to prepare for the unplanned, and we’ve shared with you things to expect when you cannot control your priorities. Then, we explained how to deal with a situation that is making you look bad. Then, we discussed why honesty is truly the best policy and why delivery is equally as important and concluded with the realization that you aren’t the only one who is busy in this world; so is everybody else. Now that you’ve finished reading, you should communicate better if you are not available without relying on the common “I’m busy” excuse.