When I was first sent home at the beginning of COVID, I envisioned myself, grandly checking off items from a large piece of paper, reporting to one and all how much I had accomplished. Because now I could get things done. Things I never could seem to accomplish before, because I was simply too busy. I had grand plans, I would now have time to work on all those projects that were stashed on my Someday list…
Insert sound of car brakes here.
The truth of the matter was that for the first long days, I didn’t get to any of those important projects. But my days were filled with activity.
I was busy, but not productive.
And how can you tell the difference? I have discovered that it is very simple. If you are making progress on those items that are truly important to you, you are productive. If you get through a day with nothing more to show for it than spotless grout, perhaps it falls more into the busy category. (Unless of course spotless grout is a life-long dream.)
So remember, progress is the key.
It is far too easy to get sucked into a routine of doing small things that really don’t need to be done. I’m not saying that for the sake of a project you should neglect basic housecleaning or meals. I’m just saying that you need to decide if having streak-free windows is more important than building a business.
