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Focus - it's harder to do, and more important.

Guest post by: Craig Jennings

Article Overview: Dr. Stephen Covey had it right: The tasks we busines owners tackle are importsnt, urgent, not important, not urgent. The important tasks are the most valuable and profitable. But if they're not urgent as well, we do them last, if at all. Big problem. Please read on.

Focus - it's harder to do, and more important.



Focus - Harder and harder to do and more important to do! If you're an entrepreneur or a startup possibility, you probably have things you haven't gotten around to.

Usually, they're Important but Not Urgent. Issues which could be highly valuable to the development of your business and your bottom line, but are set aside because of all the damn things you have to do every day.

How do you handle the CEO things? How avoid being the "chief employee?" How do you manage the distractions of the Urgent?

I'd be happy to have a conversation with you. I'm writing a book on the subject. I've spent a lot of time as an entrepreneur and coach, working with entrepreneurs, dealing with this absolutely critical issue.

You want the people who report to you to "do the thing right." But your job is "to do the right thing." And to know the difference!

If you make space in your life to decide what the "Right Thing" really is, and then do it, you will inevitably do well. Making the space is the trick, the hard thing, the good thing.

This is your focus, as an entrepreneur. It's also the focus of my coaching.

No rush - just consider if this makes sense.

Have a look on the other side.

Why do we put off the really important things, and get lost in what Michael Gerber calls "doin' it, doin' it, doin' it!"

Dr. Steven Covey of "Seven Habits" fame made it clear.

If you divided your tasks into the 4 groups below, which order do you think you'd tackle them in?

And, of course, the Important But Not Urgent tasks each represent a major opportunity ignored.

Why we do it? Covey's explanation: If it's urgent and important, that's a no-brainer. But, the category of Not Important is less consequential, perhaps less confronting than Important, so we do the easy stuff, numbers 2 and 3 next, save number 4 for last! Clearly you're using your time better if you tackle your IBNU's before you do things which are neither important or urgent.

However you work, have a look at what you're doing, and what you're not doing.

Groucho Marx had a good line: "I resemble that remark!" If these issues seem familiar, some serious change can start with a call to Craig Jennings - info in my profile.

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Article Tags: stephen covey



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