The more I think about it, this is the biggest barrier to success
By Jim Logan • Jun 23rd, 2007 • Category: Other Leadership Stuff
Many of us can't wait to do tomorrow what we could do today: make a phone call, mail a payment, write a letter, finish a report, enter data, etc. For whatever reason, for whatever rationale, many of us put off the things we know we should do and replace them with busy work that results in little to no productivity.
To be sure, there are many things we can put off today that have no immediate or noticeable impact and consequence. That's a problem. We teach ourselves to put things off. We work procrastination into the formula and become comfortable with it.
The US Army use to have a tagline along the lines of We do more by 9AM than most people do in a day. It's greatly true. And the secret isn't starting your day at o-dark-thirty. The secret, if there is one, is the elimination of idle time and indecision.
Eliminating the BS in your workday and taking actions with true priority results in two things: shortening your workday and increasing productivity. And if you're consistent day after day, you're likely to fit a month's worth of productivity into a couple weeks.
What we have to do is discipline ourselves to act when we know we should be taking action. The next time you find yourself sitting at your desk thinking you should do something…simply do it.
People who consistently take timely action are generally more successful.
What do you think?
