It’s easy to work full, long days. If you’ve got a good work ethic, like I do, you like to “do” things, get a lot done. Preferably as efficiently as possible, but it’s the movement that gives you energy. You like to be always moving forward, growing. And there’s nothing more satisfying than ticking off a number of things on your list each day. Do you relate?
Many of us entrepreneurs already have the drive and motivation. Creating and doing are our strong points. We’re good at getting things done and creating something from nothing. This is what’s really rewarding about the entrepreneurial game and one of the main reasons why we’re in it. But I have to share with you an insight I had a few years ago that shifted this approach to my own work.I noticed I was getting a lot done but the results did not reflect the hours I had been putting in.
I needed to stop treating all tasks equally. Don’t get me wrong, I knew all about prioritising. I thought I was already doing that and you may be thinking the same thing too. But what I realised was, that to create real results I needed to focus on what I now call Power Priorities.
It’s not about getting it all done, all the time. It’s actually about focusing on the most important things for most of the time. And the key words there are “most important things”. Notably, it isn’t “most enjoyable things”. We can all fall into the trap of doing what’s most enjoyable and what we’re good at, so defining your true business priorities is really important.
Your true business priorities are what I call Power Priorities. You can discover your Power Priorities by simply asking yourself one question:
What are the top 3 tasks that only I can do, that will drive my business forward?
Take time to consider the most important things you need to do that will make the difference to your business. Narrow it down to 3 priorities only, your Power Priorities.
Then, treat them accordingly. Power Priorities should go first, above all else on your task list. But even better practice is to create a chunk of time in your schedule that is only for these Power Priorities. How much time can you spend on them in a week? What if you doubled that or tripled it? What would the results be? Put it in your schedule and find out!
Focusing on your Power Priorities will generate a huge amount of momentum and also get you more results. Compounding over time, you will then spend more and more hours on the things that are truly creating results and building your business.
Your personal values, whether you are aware of them or not, are playing a major role in your life. We all use our values when we evaluate how we feel life is going for ourselves. It is our values that are really running our lives. But for most of us, this is happening at an unconscious level. We are all using our values to make decisions, big and small but often remain unaware of what we are really doing. If these values are really are running our lives, it makes sense to get to know them a little better. And if you need more convincing as to their importance, check this scientifically proven fact: