Don’t Mistake Movement for Progress

There’s a brilliant quote from Denzel Washington that has always resonated with me: “Don't mistake movement for progress.”

Busyness is a weird badge of honor that we carry. Here are some exercises to help you examine and challenge your own addiction to being busy.

• Look for something that you can say no to. Often, we’re not very skilled at saying “no” or “not now.” We have FOMO; we don't want to disappoint people; we like checking off all the things on our to-do list. Take a closer look at said list and identify initiatives that can wait…or possibly never happen at all.

• As you're looking at your list, ask yourself, “What's closest to the money?” Or “What's the action on this list that’s the closest to getting me paid?” Obviously, compensation allows your business to continue and thrive, so that should be a driving factor in how you prioritize and manage your time, but you can also evaluate your list from a bigger picture standpoint, asking, “What's the thing on this list that’s going to be the most meaningful, most energizing, and most interesting for me?” Then start there.

• The final question to ask yourself comes from a book called The ONE Thing by Gary Keller, which is an amazing guide to productivity and focus. Consider, “What's the one thing I can do today such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” You have many important things on your plate, but there is truly just one most important action you can take today.

Don’t be fooled by your drive to stay busy. Get inspired by Denzel. Determine where progress is possible and go from there.

Onward.

Tom

 

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