The Question: "What's one thing you could do (you
aren't doing now) that if you did on a regular basis, would make a
tremendous positive difference in your professional life, business or
career?"
Your answer will most likely fall
into what Stephen Covey has termed "Quadrant II" - things that are Important and Not Urgent.
Urgent matters can be defined as
something external to us that press on us and insist on action. They're
often popular with others. They're often
right in front of us, but are also often unimportant.
Important matters have to do with
results. Something important contributes to your mission, your values,
your high priority goals.
Because your answer to the question
at the beginning of this article fell into Quadrant II (Q II), it
stands to reason that the more time you can spend in Q II, the more
successful you will be. Covey found this
to be true. In his classic book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey discovered
that the average person spends less than 5% of their time in QII, while
the most effective leaders spend at least 50% of their time
there!
Q II is the place of proactivity
- these things require initiative from us. Just
look at what you wrote down. Was it
something like:
- Strategic planning
- Building relationships
- Making follow up calls
- Saying "no" to the urgent activities
that distract me from my purpose
- Finishing that proposal I've been
procrastinating on
- Exercise
- Connecting with my vision every day
- Connecting with my Creator each
morning for direction
All of these are Q II activities. You want to maximize the time you
spend in Q II. Covey summarizes it
this way: The key is not to
prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
Here's a quick tip that I've found
helpful. Think about your morning routine. Most of us come in and do what...? We check our voice mail and e-mail. Then more times than not one of those messages
distracts us (or even upsets us) and before we realize it, the whole
morning has been consumed. It takes us out
of the game we really want to play.
Instead try this: Take
the first hour of your work day and work on something important -
some Q II activity. For business owners I
often recommend a revenue-producing activity. Whatever
it is, it's probably not an urgent thing. You
may have been putting it off, but you know doing it will make a huge
difference in your success.
I suggest getting a timer that
counts down from 60 minutes. Psychologically,
we tend to work more efficiently when we see "we only have 15 minutes
left." After the hour has passed, feel
free to check your messages or take a break. You've
just completed what is probably the most effective task of the day -
and you still have the whole day left!
Try this for the next two weeks and
see if you notice a difference. You'll be
amazed at how effective, efficient and powerful you are!
