Make a Course Correction

No, I'm not going to tell you that tired old chestnut about how planes constantly make corrections to end up at the correct destination. Step 3 to have more time for what matters involves what you should do when that destination changes.

“Get rid of tasks and activities that occupy time but add no value to your life.” — Vladimir Elie

Sometimes, there are tasks and activities you participate in that are useful and productive, but they’re not aligned with your current set of goals.

These activities can creep in over time. Maybe at one time, they did align with your goals. But since then, you’ve shifted priorities, or pivoted your business.

The task that supported your old workload no longer supports your new workload.

Or, you might have thought that a certain project would move you in the direction of your goal. Then, later, you find out you were wrong.

Instead of sticking with it because it was something you committed to, find a way to extract yourself gracefully.

One of the best ways to break a commitment is to recruit someone else who is willing to fulfill it. By finding someone more well suited to the activity, you’re actually doing a favor to both that person and the person in charge of the overall activity.

In his book Essentialism, Greg McKeown tells a story of a pair of parents whose son got into Harvard.

When asked how he did it, they said that their son signed up for every extra-curricular activity he could. As soon as he realized it wasn’t a good fit, and that was not an activity where he would shine, he dropped the activity.

You may not be trying to get into Harvard, but you’re trying to get somewhere in your life. If you discover a task or activity is not moving you in that direction, get rid of it.

A similar story is given by Angela Duckworth in her book, Grit. She describes how exceptional people need to find an activity that can interest them for years. It is the many years of interest in a field that allows them to become exceptional. To find their purpose in life and do things that matter. As a result, she encouraged her children to try any activity they might be interested in. If their interest flagged, she encouraged them to try something else.

This frees you up to take on more tasks and activities that will move you in the direction of your goals. It also helps you to devote your time and attention to the things that can interest you for decades, and where your actions matter.

Key Takeaways

Just as consulting contracts can develop "scope creep", so too can the activities and tasks you give yourself. It's important to regularly assess what you do, and determine if it still supports your current goals.

If you want to find an area where you can shine, be exceptional, and contribute to the world in a meaningful way, you'll need to try many things. It's important to be able to drop potential interests if they don't pan out, so that you can find something compelling.

The first three articles in this series showed you how to streamline, vacuum pack, and course correct. Keep reading to learn how being hands off can help you get more done.