Quiz: Break free of your busyness blind spots

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  You don't like offending people or rocking the boat.

  • A.
    Very much like me
  • B.
    Like me
  • C.
    A little like me
• 2.
  You appreciate excellence and exactness, and strive for it in all of your tasks.

  • A.
    Very much like me
  • B.
    Like me
  • C.
    A little like me
• 3.
  When analyzing a problem, you run the numbers and test many different scenarios to make sure you get it right.

  • A.
    Very much like me
  • B.
    Like me
  • C.
    A little like me
• 4.
  You attend meetings when they are inconvenient, or when you know you are too busy with other projects.

  • A.
    Very much like me
  • B.
    Like me
  • C.
    A little like me
• 5.
  You set high standards for yourself and others, intending to deliver high-quality work.

  • A.
    Very much like me
  • B.
    Like me
  • C.
    A little like me
• 6.
  You react quickly when problems surface around the organization by jumping in and getting your hands dirty.

  • A.
    Very much like me
  • B.
    Like me
  • C.
    A little like me
• 7.
  You feel uncomfortable giving too much work to your team or asking others to chip in.

  • A.
    Very much like me
  • B.
    Like me
  • C.
    A little like me
• 8.
  You don’t like to ask for help and will try many avenues before turning to your boss or your colleagues.

  • A.
    Very much like me
  • B.
    Like me
  • C.
    A little like me
• 9.
  When you see people struggling, you step in to rescue them or the project to ensure success.

  • A.
    Very much like me
  • B.
    Like me
  • C.
    A little like me
• 10.
  You gather as much information as possible and consult many colleagues before making a decision about the best solution to a problem.

  • A.
    Very much like me
  • B.
    Like me
  • C.
    A little like me
• 11.
  You are uncomfortable leaving the office before others or when they seem to be working harder than you are. 

  • A.
    Very much like me
  • B.
    Like me
  • C.
    A little like me
• 12.
  You believe that people should be responsive, so you respond as quickly as possible to messages and emails, even when you want to be doing something else.

  • A.
    Very much like me
  • B.
    Like me
  • C.
    A little like me

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  People-pleasing

  Your intention is to serve others, please others and do the work without bothering anyone else. You strive to be “selfless”. You may also be reluctant to ask for help (or time off). A challenge for you is setting boundaries – you have difficulty saying “no” to things you don’t have time for or don’t want to do. This is a coping pattern driven by a fear of shame
• 2.
  Perfectionism

  Your intention is to produce high-quality work, excellence and exactness. Often, we don’t realize that we are striving for perfection – we just see it as high standards. It’s great to have things perfect, especially when it really counts. However, here we’re talking about the compulsion to have everything to a certain standard; even when it doesn’t matter. You may strive to have outcomes the way they should be. You may find it difficult to delegate work to others, since they might not complete it to your standards, exactly as you would do it, or as it “should” be done. The challenge with this tendency is that no matter what you do, it never feels good enough. The belief that is associated with this tendency is, “If it is not perfect, then I am not perfect”. Underneath it is the feeling that you are not enough or not worthy. To start releasing this belief, begin by noticing when you are aiming for perfection or some arbitrary standard. Ask yourself – does this need to be perfect? Who am I making it perfect for? What am I afraid of if it is not perfect? Asking these questions will help you identify the feeling or fear underneath it and enable you to choose differently.
• 3.
  Over-analyzing

  The intention of analyzing is to distill information down into manageable chunks. Over-analyzing comes into play when you seek to find the answer in the information instead of within yourself. You look for the one “right” answer and don’t trust yourself to make a decision. You may find it challenging to stop running numbers and reviewing scenarios. Perhaps you get so caught up in the details that you lose sight of the real problem. The problem with over-analyzing tendencies is not that there is too much work, or that you are not good at it. It is the inability to trust yourself. If you’re looking outside for the answer, you will never trust your ability to make a decision. You believe that more effort means you will get it right. You might harbour a fear of failing or of getting it wrong. This fear feeds a belief system that tells you that if you don’t get the right answer you will fail, and if you fail, you are not good enough. Getting the right answer is equated with your own worthiness. If you are an over-analyzer, begin by noticing when a decision is in front of you. Witness when you are stuck in a repetitive cycle of looking at the numbers and information, and delaying the decision. Ask yourself – how does this exercise or decision fit into the greater scheme of things? Have I done the work and now I am unnecessarily doing it again in different ways, hoping for a different answer? Do I inherently know the answer already?
• 4.
  Fire-fighting

  The intention for the firefighter is to be helpful and ensure people and projects are successful. This intention can be positive in both the workplace and life. However, it becomes an issue when problem-solving becomes firefighting for the sake of showing your value. When you don’t give space for others to offer solutions or figure it out for themselves it is demoralizing for them. Firefighting can also be self-destructive if it distracts you from more important activities or it leads to busyness and burnout. You may be unable to stop yourself from solving problems because it makes you feel better when all the fires are out. Underlying this is the feeling that when all the problems are solved, then you will be good enough. Like a warrior, you believe that once all the battles are fought, then you will be worthy. To start releasing this behaviour, begin by witnessing the occasions when you answer for others, give the solution, or solve problems others should be solving. Ask yourself if you need to solve this problem. Do you need to solve it right now? Can someone else solve this problem? Who am I trying to impress or show my value to by solving this problem?
• 5.
  Carrying the burden

  Your intention is to take responsibility for the work. You may feel that this is the professional thing to do and part of your role as a leader. While being accountable is good, it becomes a challenge when you feel that you have to take all of the responsibility. You begin to feel guilty or uncomfortable giving work to others, asking for help, or doing less while others are working so hard. You believe that you won’t be worthy unless you carry this all this by yourself. You believe that you don’t deserve to be served by others or you don’t deserve to receive. The underlying belief tends to be that you need to take responsibility to be worth ‘your title’. You will carry all this to prove (to yourself) that you are worthy. To begin releasing these beliefs, ask yourself if you need to carry this responsibility alone. Do you need to work harder than others? Do you deserve to have your employees or colleagues help me or serve me?
• 6.
  Guilt-ridden responding

  You likely start your day by reading and responding to emails, intending to catch up on anything urgent or important. However, you often get stuck returning emails that aren’t important, just for the good feeling of seeing fewer “unread”. You feel that you have to respond to emails and texts immediately. You may also feel guilty if you don’t attend after-hours discussions, work weekends, or accept meeting requests that are too early or too late in the day for you. You try to accommodate others’ schedules and needs. This tendency escalates when you respond just to please others, perhaps because you feel the pressure of them waiting on an answer. Each time you respond, unwillingly, you are giving power to that person or message. The more you complain about the late-night emails, expectations, or early zoom calls, you give control of your time to others. You give power to others when you believe that they are worth more than you. You believe that you need to please others to be of value. You feel that if you don’t respond, they may be disappointed or frustrated. You may even believe that they might not like you if you are not responsive. Underneath these feelings is the belief that they are more worthy than you are. It is just your ego telling you that to be safe (e.g. keep your job) you need to please others. To begin releasing this belief, witness when you are doing this and label it. Once you label it, you can choose differently. Ask yourself, “Do I want to respond to this right now? Why do I feel that I need to respond right now? Am I responding to please someone else?” Then say no, turn off the laptop, walk out of the office. The first time you say “no”, you will feel relief and more powerful.