Episode 144 - Avoid the Waterwheel Trap

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I once had a boss, a regional manager, who honestly believed everything was a top priority. Because our division wasn’t reaching its goals, he worked long hours, sweated both the small stuff and the big stuff, and kept himself in constant motion. He was a work-a-holic without focus: always busy – spinning from one project to another.

He reminded me of a waterwheel. Sometimes the wheel would spin crazy fast and other times it rotated leisurely. Always spinning, always in motion, always working. The challenge here is that the wheel just spins. It never goes anywhere. And Ray, at that time, wasn’t going anywhere in his career, either – at least, nowhere good. Ray’s wakeup call came when the company sold our operation to the competition and he was spun out of a job.

Are you spinning? Are you in constant motion? Does everything feel like a top priority? Are you frustrated because you don’t get more accomplished? Here is an effective time management tip that works. It’s smart to ask yourself, “What’s the best use of my time right now?” And then go do it. It might be calling a customer, starting a major project or calling to see if your child got home from school safely. By asking yourself “What’s the best use of my time right now?” you can instantly cut though to what counts. You clear your head, regain your focus and channel your energies toward getting the right things done at the right time.

When you feel as if you are spinning, it’s smart to ask yourself, “What’s the best use of my time right now?”

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008 at 5:00 am and is filed under Podcast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Episode 144 - Avoid the Waterwheel Trap

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