On adding value

How many of us can truly say we add value to our life or business on a daily basis?

The lucky few who are able to set long-term goals, keep to deadlines and stay focused, most probably. So what about the rest of us?

Every now and then you should probably stop and look at your daily activities from a wider perspective, much like an artist steps away from painting to fully experience it. The world might have changed quite a bit from when we started our business and the old ideas might work no longer. There might be completely new opportunities opening up, segments of market appearing or vanishing or new ideas to be implemented. As long as you keep yourself busy with activities that add no value you might lose out on all of the previous. It is relatively easy to seem occupied nowadays – social media, news and other distractions are just a click away. Other than exceptional few cases browsing those does not add any value.

There is always more stuff to do than you could manage in a lifetime. It is a question of priorities. If you are doing something with a passion, keep doing it exceptionally and leave the rest to professionals. Try looking at it from the PL point of view – you can always focus on trying your best to cut the cost, but if you spend 80% of your time on this then the rest 20% spent on increasing the income might simply not be enough to succeed. Use every bit of your creativity to find new markets, customers or services, improve income and stop worrying about the cost involved. Use the proper accounting systems to track them instead and you end up better off. Put your activities into perspective – something might turn out to be a complete waste of time and simply unnecessary. Fifteen minutes spent on planning, reflecting or even brainstorming could be more worth then a week of seemingly hard work. Keep meetings short and arrive well prepared. Do not be afraid to ask for help, if a relatively minor obstacle is blocking you from adding value to your life.

While we live on the era of permanent distractions, staying focused and delivering results is more difficult than ever. Try finding longer slots of uninterrupted time for your work. Check emails and social media just once an hour for a couple of minutes. Trust me, if the house is on fire, they will tell you to exit 🙂 Outside of this time, relax. Be actually there for your loved ones- kids, partner, parents, friends or even just yourself. Get rid of the addictions or replace them with healthier ones at least. Simplify your life since the constant decision-making is occupying valuable brain resource. Remember the importance of rest, put down your smartphone and admire the reality.

Welcome to reality of adding value.