Too many of you, my fellow professionals, spend too much time on non-essential or trivial tasks. I’m not doubting your work ethic—I know you put in the time—but I doubt how truly effective that time is. I’m a long-time fan of David Allen and his Getting Things Done system. In his book, he talks about
I can’t tell you how many executives I work with who can’t take ownership of their lives. To be specific - they don’t own their time. The very time we are graced by God with each day to use. They constantly move around with no deliberation, intentionality, or ability to control their fate. As a
1: OMIT THE NONESSENTIAL Too many professionals allow the nonessential to seep into their lives. These nonessentials seem trivial at first, but the toll quickly adds up. There are three main ways this happens: Nonessential tasks. These are the things we do that others are responsible for, but we are unable to delegate
I love Seth Godin’s quote from The Dip: “If you’re trying to succeed in a job, a relationship, or at a task, you’re either moving forward, falling behind, or standing still. There are only three choices.” This may be hard for you to read, but too many of you are standing still or falling behind. Let’s talk about
A new fad that really concerns me is that people, organizations, and teams are self-proclaiming their “elite” status. This proclamation comes in many forms, and most of us are immune to it—so immune, in fact, that we don’t see it for the bullshit it is. And yes, let me be very clear - it is
Kill the nonessential and start being happier at work “Our highest priority is to protect our ability to prioritize.” Greg McKeown in Essentials Let those words sink in for a moment. Then, look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are doing that in your work and professional life. If you are honest with
Simple, Relevant, Effective. Getting sh*t done is necessary to win in business and maintain your sanity while doing so. I’m a long-time fan of David Allen and his Getting Things Done book, but I’ve found some holes in his approach when working with clients over the past several years. First and foremost, it’s not SIMPLE