Wednesday, July 14, 2010

What's Most Important Now?

You're not getting paid to do things; you're getting paid to recognize and follow through on the most important things.

A simple habit can increase your effectiveness and decrease stress:

first thing, and later in the day, consider everything you have on your plate and choose the one most important thing to accomplish now.

The more you practice this habit, the better you get at it, strategically allocating your time and avoiding traps like
  • mistaking activity for achievement.
  • reacting to whatever comes your way, which tends to advance others' goals more than your own.
  • letting what's urgent crowd out what's important.
Most of us have schedules pummeled by unexpected requests, problems and changes; so choose one or two times later in the day for repeating this practice. Review your goals, commitments and to-dos, take stock of the day thus far, and identify what's most important to complete now.

Considering both personal and professional goals makes it more likely you'll have the energy and relationships you need to really enjoy your accomplishments.