Are You Doing What You Really Should Be Doing, Or Just Avoiding The Issue?

We all have things to do.

These things to do vary in their importance and in the degree of difficulty we associate with their completion.

The fact is that if we choose to we do not have to do anything about anything.

We do not have to pay our taxes or our next mortgage repayment, but we do however have to bear the consequences of not doing so.

So why do we find some things easy to get on with whilst we avoid others?

Many years ago I heard a comment from one of the sales people that I used to work with.

He said 'I am doing it again; I am avoiding doing what I should be doing by doing something else!'

'What are you talking about?' I asked him.

He replied. 'What I should be doing is making telephone calls to make appointments to see prospective clients.

What I am doing is drinking coffee in 'misery corner' in the office with the other folks who are avoiding doing what they should be doing.'

This conversation and his original comment of his have stayed with me for over 30 years.

How many times a day do you start to do something else other than that which you should be doing?

It is a great idea to get into the habit of asking yourself a few times a day 'is what I am doing what I really should be doing?'

You may well be surprised at how many times you catch yourself working on the unimportant rather than the imperative.

Hey, but don't worry, you are not alone we all spend around 35% of our 'at work time' doing things which will have little or no positive impact on our day or our future.

Develop the habit of catching yourself early when working on the inconsequential and your days will become much, much more productive.