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The 2 Things Most Business People Don't Do - But They Make The Difference
"I can hire men to do everything but two things, think and do things in the order of their importance." - Henry L. Doherty, American Industrialist
In my experience working as a business coach & consultant, finding someone to do these 2 things IS rare.
Whatever about 'doing things in the order of their importance', doesn't everyone think? No. Most people confuse having lots of thoughts in their head with thinking. They're not the same thing.
It's now been proven by science that people are 95% unconscious. Shocking as that may seem, it means that when it's said that humans are creatures of habit, we literally are.
Our minds are full of mental patterns that define how we look at the world and ourselves. An average person has maybe 30,000 thoughts in a day - but the scary thing is that many of these thoughts are repeat loops that pretty much say the same thing.
And with so much to distract us today (TV, Internet, DVDs, Movies, Radio etc), the ability to THINK is going out of fashion.
So how do you REALLY think? (Or think 'critically', as Keith Cunningham would say)
First, realise that having thoughts in your head isn't thinking. Second, form a new habit of taking time out, to tune into your inner self and ask yourself some questions. Use your 6 'friends', WHY, WHAT, HOW, WHO, WHERE, WHEN for different parts of your business and life.
Here's some examples for What: - What did I learn this week?, What do i want to achieve next week?, What are my top priorities and why?, What will give the biggest pay off for my time this week?, What is the one thing if done this week will make the biggest difference to my business and/or life?
Great questions give great insights. People who move forward are the ones who learn the fastest, and these are people who take the time to THINK. Maybe you should consider what a lot of successful people do every week and plan in time to think - it'll give a great return on your investment.
Which leads us to the second half of the above quote, doing things in the order of their importance. Strangely, the best way to figure out what the order of importance is, is to prioritise them based on the impact on your plan which of course, means taking time out of the routine to think.
I'm often asked 'What is the best time management technique? And my answer is always the same. The one you do! In other words, just do something and keep striving to improve.
The simplest way to prioritise your time is at the end of each day write a simple list of the top six pay off things you need to do the next day. Then prioritse them and work through them in order of importance. If you do this, it will transform your life and business in weeks.
And it's very simple. But how many people do it? Very few. Probably because it's too easy and also I believe because it requires people to stop and think, which as you've read earlier is not as common as you might have thought.
Food for thought and if you'd like to get regular insights to improve your business and life...
About the Author Kick off your week in the right mindset by Signing UpSigning Up to get FREE weekly inspiration every Monday morning from Shane Cradock by visiting http://www.shanecradock.com Shane is a leading business coach & consultant specialising in improving performance for business leaders & their teams.
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