Trying Softer | Travel Research Online

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Trying Softer

Why doesn’t anyone ever try softer?” ~ Lily Tomlin

Last week I received a call from a business associate who was expecting a spreadsheet from me.  With the best of intentions I had promised to have it to him mid-week.  Then suddenly it was Friday and the half-finished project was still, well, half-finished.

If I had to tally the partially complete projects on my desk, I’m afraid the number would point to a revealing fact – I’m easily distracted and try to do too much. It is always tempting to over-commit to any number of personal and professional activities with the result that none of them are done as well as I originally intended. I sometimes manage to convince myself working harder is the best way to achieve my goals.

I hear there is a road somewhere paved with nothing but good intentions.

Messy DeskCall it a simple business detox session: Every so often, we need to pare down our list of things to do so something actually gets done.

It is easy to confuse working hard with working smart.  There is a temptation to continually move to the next project at the expense of the one before it. Being overly busy is a terrific way to sabotage  yourself, to be so buried in your business that you are never on top of your business.

Are you engaging new undertakings before you have lived up to the promises you have already made yourself and others?  Are you tempted to over-commit?  When we fail to slow down periodically, when we let our desks become overrun with the clutter of too many ideas, we risk losing sight of our most important plans and ambitions.

On occasion, we all need to remember some simple advice: easy does it.

If we hope to achieve our business and personal goals in our travel practices, we have to begin by being clear about the tactics we are using. Jumping from one tactic to the next, moving frantically from one project before the last one is nearing completion, working without a clear plan,  is a recipe for introducing some unwelcome stress into your life. No need to go looking for additional stress – it’s sure to find you on its own.

Make commitments, keep them, but be wary of the temptation to over-commit.  Set a date with yourself to create a solid plan for your travel practice, to limit the tactics you will use to achieve your goals, and then to carry through your marketing and sales goals to completion.

You may find yourself feeling better for the effort and your travel practice running more efficiently without the additional clutter.

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