Leadership and Sales BLOG

Patience may be a virtue, but when you want to get something done right away, it's hard to be patient, isn't it? I find myself reacting to real or imposed deadlines every day, and the helplessness of always being reactive is a crummy feeling. This may sound crazy, but slowing down can actually help you get more done. Here's how:

1. Instead of bulling ahead in a crisis situation, ask a question to determine the situation before you proceed. I remember my CPR training from high-school pool lifeguarding days. Coach Joslyn cautioned us not to begin emergency breathing until we'd figured out whether the patient was breathing on his own! Don't step forward before you see where you're going.

2. Figure out what resources you have. This includes the people around you and their respective talents. I'd spent dozens of hours trying to figure out QuickBooks for my business before I realized that the time I was wasting in a weakness would be better spent on a strength. "What could I be doing now if I wasn't buried in numbers?" was the operative question for me. If I hadn't asked that critical question, I'd still be "P and L'ing" all over myself. Now, my bookkeeper Chris arrives every six weeks or so, allowing me to do what makes me money.

3. Ask yourself which area of your business and personal life you must focus on today. Everyone has a "to do" list of 1,001 items, but nothing gets done unless you concentrate on the basics! My "basic" today was to update at least three social media resources. Other tasks were completed, but my "basic" was the only non-negotiable activity on the docket.

What are you doing to get more done? I love McDonalds-China and their mantra for progress. "Don't confuse activity with action!" Isn't that marvelous?