One of the business developer's biggest problems is that the urgent seems important. In fact, most of these things aren't important; it only seems that they are. This is largely a matter of discipline and perception.
It can be said that we mostly react to life. When the phone rings, we answer it. When emails come in, we read and respond to them. When the mail comes in, we read it. We move from appointment to appointment, filling the time with whatever comes up during the course of the day.
So, instead of being reactive to your day, be proactive. Each morning (or preferably, the night before), plan your day. Know what you're going to do and when you're going to do it. And continue to ask yourself if the "urgent" things that come up are important. Can they wait? Can they be taken care of all at once later on, during "off-peak" times?
And schedule time in your day for emergencies and a few things that come up that you will deem both important and truly urgent.
This week, take a few minutes before your work day and schedule what you intend to accomplish. Then try to keep to that schedule. If you get knocked off track, that's fine. But continue this practice, and you'll have access to a whole new level of efficiency and effectiveness: doing the right things the right way, and at the right time.
(We'd like to take a moment to remember the victims, and their friends and families, of the horrible tragedies in Binghamton, NY and Pittsburgh, PA, our home town. The taking of innocent life is always devastating, and should give us all cause to be grateful for the lives, friends and family that we do have. There is a great purpose to your life, and we're here to support you in that pursuit.)
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Dan Kusner
Chris Rasmussen
Next time, more about the Urgent vs. the Important.
Please take a minute and let me know how you're doing out there. How have these tips been helping you?
