Busyness Is the Enemy of Effectiveness

When we are “busy,” we dash from one thing to another because we’re focused on checking things off a list. We’re removing the pebbles on the path and ignoring the boulders that are blocking our progress. We’re not going anywhere and we can feel frustrated, frazzled, and exhausted by the end of the day. Too many days like this, and we're in a deep pit with no way out. The longer we stay here, the deeper down we dig ourselves.

The solution is to shift our focus from getting things done to getting the results we need. This requires us to be effective.

Productivity is getting things done—our to-do list is shrinking. Efficiency is maximizing our resources when we do those things. Effectiveness is the sum of productivity and efficiency. We're achieving the results we need with the least impact on resources. This allows us to grow our businesses or careers, increase our income, deepen our influence, and more.

These three things--productivity, efficiency, effectiveness-- are the triumvirate of success. Alone, each provides some benefits, but together, they create a synergy that can propel our business forward.

“Measure progress — not the time that you’re working.”--Frank Sonnenberg

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