If you're a service-based business owner, and you have a smartphone and a pulse, then one thing is guaranteed (besides death and taxes).
And that's constant distractions.
They're everywhere!
They constantly derail us as we valiantly march toward our goals each day.
They're constant.
They're seductive.
They're omnipresent!
But those are just the known distractions.
And if you're very focused and you create a great environment for yourself, you're likely to avoid them for the most part.
But what about the distractions that we don't realize are distractions?
They're the really insidious ones.
They're the ones that often do more damage than most!
I'm talking about those distractions that masquerade as "busy work".
You know the ones I mean?
Here are some examples:
- Compiling a pointless report
- Creating an unnecessarily elaborate excel model for your business when you could just adapt an existing template for your needs
- Proofreading a presentation that's been checked
- Checking your email more than twice a day
- Reaching out to prospects without qualifying them first
The list is potentially endless.
Often these tasks have a certain "urgency" to them but aren't usually important.
"What's important is seldom urgent, and what's urgent is seldom important" — Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States
The solution?
Get clear on what's important and focus on those tasks first.
The Eisenhower Matrix is a great framework to use to tease out the urgent but not important tasks that masquerade as work but are mostly just distractions from your long-term goals.
Typically these tasks tend to be a bit more complex and are often harder to get started on. They don't give you the instant gratification the easier tasks tend to give you.
But these important tasks are usually better aligned with your long-term goals and are more likely to give you an excellent return on your time investment.
