Your intention is to put in a solid day’s work to get things done, right?
You want to complete tasks, hit targets, finish projects, and reach milestones—and feel GREAT about it.
And not just GREAT, but AMAZING… and ACCOMPLISHED… and SATISFIED.
But if you DON’T feel like you’re reaching milestones and don’t feel ACCOMPLISHED very often, it can be very deflating.
If you don’t feel a sense of accomplishment every day or the euphoria of finishing something, it can bring you down just a little every day.
And as a result, you lose motivation. You lose steam. You lose time and energy. And you lose progress.
You may wonder why this is happening. And I can shed a little light on that.
It’s because HOW you’re working is getting in the way.
What you may not realize is that your workday and the work you do consists of TWO parts.
The FIRST part is all about using your talent, skills, experience and expertise.
These make up the reason you got this job or own your business. You’re GREAT at what you do. And you LOVE what you do (right?!) so you want to spend as MUCH TIME as possible using your expertise and doing what you do best.
The SECOND part consists of workload management skills.
And it’s this second half that’s holding most professionals back.
Workload management skills support HOW you work…
…HOW you manage information and email
…HOW you manage time and your calendar
…HOW you manage tasks and follow-ups.
If email is scrolling off the screen and you’re not able to keep up with tasks and information, the time spent scrolling and searching is STEALING time from you that you would otherwise spend doing what you do best.
If tasks are piling up and you have trouble planning and prioritizing them, the time spent trying is ROBBING you of time to do what you do best.
If you have trouble finding information you need to finish tasks and send emails, the time spent looking is TAKING TIME AWAY from doing what you do best.
In these cases, and SO many more, the way you’re working is over-shadowing your expertise.
It’s taking AWAY from you—not only the time you need to do what you want to do, but it’s also chipping away at your confidence, your motivation, and your peace of mind.
If workload management skills are missing or lacking in any way, it will slow you down. You will be less efficient, less effective, and less productive than you could be. This will slow your progress and stop you from reaching your potential.
And this would be true for even the SHARPEST professionals and the SMARTEST experts with the BEST intentions to make the MOST of their day.
The workday gap is this…
Not everyone knows how to work most efficiently, effectively and productively.
This is not a criticism. It’s a fact.
And if you’re not aware of this, now is the time to start keeping an eye on HOW you’re working.
If you HAVE been aware and you’ve looked for solutions in the past, you may have found some. You may have found a time management strategy in a podcast. An email tip from a blog. A new email management method found in a YouTube video.
But here’s the thing… and I’m not going to sugar-coat this, because I know you want the truth.
Random, disconnected tips, tools, tactics and hacks will NOT solve all of the productivity challenges in your workday.
If you’ve just applied one of those tips or tactics to your workday, what you’ve done is apply a band aid to a MUCH bigger problem.
You’ve attempted to fix some small part of your workday—or how you manage your work—that isn’t working. But the overall problem isn’t solved.
Now what you have is…
…a boost in time management, but you’re without task or email management strategies.
…a boost in email management, but you’re without strategies for managing tasks or information.
…a boost in task management, but you’re without time or email management skills.
And sometimes, you don’t even get the boost. Sometimes, the “solution” you try to apply is more complex or complicated than anticipated. And in many cases, the little tips and hacks don’t work… or they don’t last.
It’s like paddling with little oars to keep a BIG ship moving forward when what you really need is a powerful engine and a navigation system to steer you. And as a result, you’re going a LOT slower than you could.
But with a powerful engine and a full navigation system, you would not only apply an all-inclusive solution and make TONS of progress by the end of every day, but you wouldn’t be so exhausted from all that paddling. 😉
The exhausting, stressful, rushed, and reactive workday does NOT have to be YOUR reality.
So, reflect on HOW you’re working and more importantly, recount your recent outcomes.
Are you hitting milestones and targets on time?
Are you keeping a steady pace of achievement?
Are you getting a HUGE sense of accomplishment at the end of every day?
Your mission is to pay close attention to HOW you’re working and how you’re PRODUCING as a result.
Where do you see obstacles, road blocks and pitfalls? What’s slowing you down?
When and where is time lost the most or the fastest?
When your awareness is up, changes can be made. And the gap can be closed.
