How many times have you worked yourself off a cliff? You're busy, tired, overwhelmed, and doing every last thing. Or worse, maybe you are sitting at your desk and don’t know what to do. Maybe you're staring at your computer and pushing papers around your desk.
We all do things like this. It is why most small businesses fail or have moderate success amounting to no more than a really hard, low-paying job. But why do we do it? Doesn't it seem silly to do “stuff’ all day when real work needs to be done?
We do it because we let the tasks of the day drive us. We don’t think about why we are doing things — they're in front of us, so we simply do them. That's why you should ask yourself the following four questions before taking on any business task.
Is what you are doing going to get you paid (and how)?
This may sound crass, but here’s the thing: Most people don’t think about what gets them paid. Getting paid isn't just about making sales or presenting to prospects (although this should be your No. 1 focus). Getting paid is also about marketing, customer service, branding and networking. It's getting business from a new client, new business from an existing client, or maintaining revenue from a current client. If you are an employee, getting paid is about knowing the results you were hired to produce on behalf of your firm.
So before you move onto your next task, ask yourself: Is it going to get me or my business paid?
Is what you are doing serving your purpose?
Business is about so much more than the transaction of selling a product or service. Your business has meaning, especially to the group of clients it serves. If you sell solar panels, your purpose may be to get more people to put them on their homes, but it may also be to educate people on making environmentally friendly choices. If you are an employee, your purpose is to do your job on behalf of your company and its clients. It may even be about furthering your career and getting promoted.
Know your purpose(s) and do things that further them.
Does what you are doing need to be done by you?
We all have a lot on our plates, and naturally, we enter work mode to get it all done. But, this leads to that feeling of inundation. Asking this question can be a real game changer: Are you doing things that should be done by other members of your team? Sometimes, you may take on a task that's part of your boss’ role or your employee’s. Let them do their job so you can successfully do yours. If you are a one-person shop, maybe it's time to find a vendor, partner or software that can take on this task.
To free up your time and focus on the growth and success of you and your business, do only the things that must be done by you.
Does what you are doing need to be done at all?
Hours upon hours are wasted every year doing unnecessary work. I have heard others estimate that 20 to 40% of what we do does not need to be done at all. This may include things that don't ultimately benefit you or your clients. Ask yourself: if this were to go away, would anyone notice? This doesn't have to be on a grand scale either. You can even ask this question at the client or project level. What is necessary for one may not be necessary for another, so stop wasting time, and do work that truly benefits you, your clients and your company.
It is my belief that life is business and business is life. If you are working yourself to exhaustion doing unnecessary things, it will affect your life in a big way. I encourage you to ask these four questions before taking on your next task. You will create huge capacity for yourself and actually serve your clients better by doing less.
