Over the holidays, I received many cards from friends and relatives.
Several had enclosed holiday letters or short notes, which seemed
to echo a similar theme. They talked about a “hectic life”
or a “busy schedule.” Now might be a good time to question
what we are so busy doing. Could we be confusing movement with progress,
as Peter Drucker warns?
Anyone who has held a job in corporate America knows the difference
between movement and progress. All too often, our jobs require a lot
of movement (looking busy, generating documents and e-mails, etc.)
and little observable progress toward a goal or improved situation.
You’ve seen the Dilbert cartoons!
What are you doing that is merely movement, keeping busy, maintaining
a facade? What would happen if you just stopped? For instance, for
me, working in a home office presents the constant challenge of being
confronted by the imperfections in my home environment. I could clean,
do repairs and laundry 24 hours per day. I’d be very busy, but
would I be making any progress? Would I be making progress toward
the things that matter most to me?
Since life is all about choices, I had to choose. I chose to do laundry
on two specific days per week. This means that if someone goes without
a desired item clean for a day, oh well! House cleaning is done when
I feel like it - I do as much as I can, comfortably, and I hired a
cleaning professional to cover the rest.
We’ve all only got 168 hours each week, including time to sleep.
Make sure in 2003 you are doing the things that actually get you where
you want to be and not those that are just taking up your time.
Action
Steps