One Sunday evening recently I was driving home from Dublin. We stopped at a motorway service area for some refreshments and to use the “facilities”.
The gents’ toilet was disgusting. Out of curiosity I glanced at the back of the door – where they typically hang that sheet of paper that captures the cleaning schedule. The gents hadn’t been cleaned in over 8 hours.
At the till a few minutes later I told the woman working there that the gents needed a clean. Her response?
“Sorry but we’ve just been really busy”.
That’s rubbish.
If there’s a fire you’re not “too busy” to leave the building.
If your child is hospitalised you’re not “too busy” to take care of them.
If a dear friend or relative passes away you’re not “too busy” to attend the funeral.
If the health & safety authorities are scheduled to visit your premises for a notified inspection you’re not too busy to clean.
If you have a sales meeting to potentially land your business’ biggest ever contract then you’re not too busy to prepare for it.
Let’s be honest. It’s not that we’re too busy. It’s simply that we’re either choosing to focus on other things or that we’re operating on some sort of auto-pilot without thinking.
You’ve 168 hours this week – just like every other living creature on this planet of ours. Some portion of that 168 will be spent in and/or on your business. How you spend that portion will be some combination of auto-pilot and your decisions.
Now the good news. Your decisions on how you spend your time in your business this week will have consequences. If you stop for a moment and consider that you may realise how empowering that is.
Pause for just one moment and think: Have you decided what’s next on your agenda after reading this email? Is it the best thing to focus on to move your business forward?
Choosing what’s best to focus on ensures that your time’s spent optimally. Making such choices at a weekly and monthly level is a core part of sustained achievement. Now – what can you do to help yourself do that?