Our house is surrounded by hundreds of trees. Thousands of leaves are attracted to my roof and gutters every fall. When the rains come, the gutters clog and water cascades off my roof like a waterfall. One year the waterfall filled up a window well and then pored into my basement. Ever since and twice a year, I religiously get out my ladder, climb up on my roof, try not to fall and kill myself, and get the clutter out of my gutters. I know what you are thinking, "hey fool, buy some gutter guards." Truth told, I like an excuse to get on my roof and view all the surrounding communities -- a strange "top of the world" kind of feeling.
My daughter Kelsey was hitting tennis balls with a friend the other day and a few balls go lodged in the gutters. So for the third time this year, I got out the ladder and got the "fuzzy yellow" clutter out of my gutters. This time, I got to thinking. As owners, shouldn't we all periodically climb out of our daily details, get on the roof so to speak, look down on our business and role, and "clean the clutter from our gutters"? I think it would prevent that "I'm flooded" feeling.
What is clutter you ask. It is the low-value, urgent, unimportant tasks (the trivial many) we routinely and reactively handle each and every day. It consumes our days, clogs our creativity, reduces the flow of meaningful work, and ends up drowning out our productivity. We all have clutter, some more than others. For some examples, clutter could be checking and responding to email throughout the day, reading the paper, chatting with co-workers, handling paperwork, surfing the web, answering the cell phone no matter what, doing other people's jobs, messing in the factory, roaming the office, repeatedly checking your Blackberry, listening to the radio, solving the problems others created, doing mindless trips or chores, doing administrative or hourly type of tasks, putting out fires, etc. Many of these activities are just habitual and tension-relieving and not goal-achieving.
Realize that 80% of your results come from only 20% of your talents and activities. Therefore, wake-up to the fact that 80% of your daily activities are really not that important. Sorry, but you probably already know this deep down to be true. Stop wasting your time doing the wrong kind of work. Think of the time you could free up for more important, strategic opportunities to grow your business and profits as well as spend more time with your family. Commit to clean out the clutter from your gutters!
Spend 15 minutes and write down all the clutter in your professional and personal life. What is wasting your time and talents? What work should you NOT be doing? What is steering you away from critical priorities? What diversions are robbing you and your company of greater productivity? Look honestly at the list. Accept the truth and acknowledge the clutter. Commit to eliminate or delegate the 80% of your activities (clutter) that produce minimal results for your business or career.
Instead of creating a "to-do" list each and every day, start creating a "not-to-do list." Start giving up tasks that are not worth your time -- either delete those tasks all together or delegate them to others. Choose instead to focus on the meaningful 20% of your talents and activities that drive the vast majority of your results and success. The "vital few" tasks are those that produce money, save money, or keep your customers happy. Work smarter, not harder! Commit to give up the "clutter" in your professional and personal life.
Daniel Murphy
The Growth Coach
Business Coaching Franchise System