So Good It's Bad

I have built a system for efficiency that has become inefficient : /

Or rather, it has become so efficient that I have completely neglected all of the busy work - the problem is, some of that busy work is absolutely necessary for me to run my business efficiently.

Amongst other things, I start my day with meditation and an exercise that helps me tap into my subconscious and provoke divine inspiration. This is useful once I get through my morning routine and am ready to start working for the day.

The first thing I do when I sit down at my desk is to plan out my day. I make a short list of all the things I would like to accomplish in the day.

• I reference my notes from the exercise above
• I look at my calendar to see what's scheduled
• I review my weekly goals to see what's possible
• I carry over yesterday's list of tasks undone

Then I highlight the top 3 most important things I can do today. I add them to my daily planner AND add blocks to my calendar.

This system keeps me laser-focused on the tasks that will make the biggest impact on my life and businesses. I've perfected it over the past year or two and it's incredible to see how well it works.

But it's created a problem - I'm so efficient with my time that I have none left to spare. Three tasks doesn't sound like a lot, and if I had a full day of work, it wouldn't be. But my calendar is regularly booked with recurring tasks, team meetings, and scheduled calls.

So I'm squeezing these three tasks into my already packed schedule. They often soak up quite a bit of mental bandwidth and require extended focus to get them done.

This means that the "busy work" is often neglected. That's great because that's the goal! I want to prioritize the important stuff; the tasks that are going to move the needle!

But not all "busy work" is created equal

I have several inboxes between slack and email for both companies, social media accounts, and more, it's tough for me to keep up with communications.

If the cold pitch goes untouched, I'm not worried. But when I neglect my team and it takes me days to respond to them or a customer ask, that's a problem!

There are ways I can improve on this by setting up clearer boundaries and better project management, but until then, neglect is not the answer.

It's this constant battle for me because I should be focused on the strategic initiatives that are going to make the biggest impact for us all. But the price I'm paying at the moment is far too steep. I feel disconnected and out of the loop in my own business and that sucks!

So while I've perfected the productivity engine I've built for myself, it has revealed a major flaw. Now I must break it down to build it better. I have some ideas but I will start with one in particular tomorrow - one of my top 3 priorities for the day must already be on my schedule.

That way I'm still identifying the 3 most important things I can do each day, but only adding 2 additional tasks to my calendar.

Here's to getting better and better every day : )

Join me on this journey...

I am manifesting $1M working for myself this year. Follow the Manifest a Million Challenge every Sunday through Thursday night - a look at my progress, plans, and thoughts throughout it all.

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