productivity secret: working hard on the wrong thing

Do you feel like a hamster on a wheel? Are you exhausted at the end of the day but haven’t moved forward on your project? Let me tell you a secret you may not want to hear: you’re working on the wrong things. You may be working really hard on those things, but they are the wrong things! Stop wasting your time – you can’t get it back.

The objective here is to work only on those things that help you reach your goals in your life of business and business of life. However, you need to use a critical eye to determine if you are overusing your strengths. Sometimes we spend too much time making something perfect. Sometimes we need to check to facts one more time. The question is – are they really getting you closer to delivering that project? But that’s not the scariest part. The real secret time wasters are hidden.

Challenge

For the next 3 days, track what you do all day long. Yes everything! I want you to know how much time you spend organizing your desk, reading emails, reviewing those meeting minutes for the 3rd time. Staring at your computer or off into space without a thought. Attending a meeting that has no purpose.

After you capture how you choose to spend your time. Be VERY critical and ask yourself if that is really how you want your life to be? Do you really want to watch TV for 6 hours a day? Do you really want to spend 45 minutes worrying about the meeting notes instead of just jotting down the critical points? Do you want to spend hours planning instead of doing?

Take one thing from your activity list that you’ve discovered is ‘wrong’ for your productivity. Make a commitment to change that one thing over the next week. I know you can do it! You are a productivity master! You just got caught up in the hamster wheel.

Caution

If you are not getting the important things done, and you can’t seem to see where you are wasting your time – you are in denial. You need an objective perspective. Go get it….NOW!

If you want some accountability…write your commitment in the comments below.

It’s your choice – choose wisely!