IN some cases, people purposely streamline their workload to free-up time for other tasks.
It's a great idea, but the question is, what is the best use of the newly-found time?
Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day, but some people seem to utilise time much better than others.
I think most of us oscillate between periods of high productivity and other times where we wonder what we did all day. I know I do.
Possibly, one reason people don't get cracking on the next task when they have purposely freed up time, is that they don't know what to do first.
Knowing the "one job" that gives you the biggest bang for your buck can be a challenge.
Some people know intuitively which this job is; for others it's a result of purposeful planning.
In the latter scenario, it's likely there's a list of things that need doing, all been prioritised over a period of time using careful thought and analysis.
In a farming context, it's easy to know what to do when a certain time of year comes around. In a cropping scenario, the obvious examples are seeding and harvest.
But these tasks generally go smoother if all the preparation and planning has been completed in the off-season. This is where knowing what to do first is crucial.
While an agribusiness owner needs to think big to come up with a long-term vision, they need to think small to actually achieve it.
This may sound counterintuitive, but knowing which particular task is the most important in the moment, means the long-term vision is more likely to come to fruition. Thinking small day to day really intensifies the focus.
Another reason to start small is for the domino effect. One task completed gives a sense of accomplishment, and makes the next task easier to begin.
Once you get on a roll, the size of the task can get larger. As the saying goes, it's not where you start, but where you finish. Nothing will be achieved without a starting point.
Lots of times the to-do-list is quite expansive. A trap can be to put the same importance on all tasks because they all need doing, which of course is correct.
But prioritising the most important ones first is paramount. It's our own perception of what's important that gets in the way. This is where a dispassionate, objective view will serve the business owner well.
Decide what task is most important, and get on with it.
Being productive will serve you a lot more than just being busy. Do one thing at a time, do it well, and then move on.
Being able to create new habits will be much easier than using will power or discipline in the long-run. I read recently that it takes approximately 60 days to form a new habit. And as the name suggests, the improved behaviour will be habitual and second nature in lots of ways.
For those that are able to reach this state of mind, the lifelong rewards are enormous.
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