One of the joys of self-employment is that I get to do whatever I choose. That's also one of the perils. It's too easy to get caught up doing things that have the flavor of work, but are really just ways to chase my own tail. They might be fun and interesting, but aren't actually taking me anywhere.
One of the questions I have started asking regularly when choosing how to spend my time is, "Is this moving me forward? How?"
Asking that question forces me to be honest about what I'm doing. I don't even want to think about how many hours/days/weeks I have spent taking action that amounted to little more than fun busy work when I shine the light of that question on it.
Asking how ties my activity directly to what it is I say I want to accomplish. It takes away the wiggle room and ensures that how I'm choosing to spend my time really is moving me towards what I want to achieve.
That's not to say I have to be rigid about it. I can still choose to spend my time in ways that aren't directly moving me forward, but when I do it should be a conscious choice and not a way to fool myself into thinking I'm doing something productive.
Try this: For a week, do an end-of-day review each day. Look at how you have spent your time and ask yourself, "Is this moving me forward? How?"
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by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst
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