When my five daughters were growing up, getting things done efficiently and on time was a constant struggle. Someone once said of me that I ran my life late. That wasn’t far from the truth. I also knew how to squeeze in an extra task while waiting for the last child to get to the table, the car or bed. I felt like there was no wasted time and I felt that I accomplished a lot. My children have a different memory of getting things done. They remember me yelling “now!”
Dwight D. Eisenhower would have had a lot to say about that. His guiding principle was: “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”
He created the Eisenhower Decision Matrix that Stephen Covey made popular in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
What is important is that we accomplish something every day. That takes focus on what is important every day. It is the difference between being busy and being effective. To-do lists, text messages, e-mails and phone calls de-rail our endeavors to accomplish things.
Step back from the to-do list when planning your day and ask: What do I want to accomplish today?
I help leaders accomplish leadership goals efficiently and effectively. Contact me today to start getting things done!