Get Done what Really Matters

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Have you ever gotten to the end of your day and felt like you've accomplished very little, even though you were busy all day long?

Last week, I had a conversation where the tables were turned. The focus was on me, my goals, and my progress. (Usually, it’s the other way around when I am talking with my clients). During this conversation, we were talking about my business, and how much it has grown over the recent years and how much time I spend working. One thing I don’t talk much about is the fact that I run my business in about 20-25 hours per week. A 40-hour week is the rare exception.

You see, my business has grown up alongside my oldest daughter. I am intentional about making sure I have plenty of time to devote to being “Mom.” Now that I have a 13-month old, very active toddler to chase around, I really have to be very effective in what I get done. (In fact, I am typing this in between pulling her out of the kitchen cabinets, so I’ll keep it short).

My life circumstances have forced me to be very strategic with time management, and I have spent lots of time studying how the most effective people get things done. 

Have you ever gotten to the end of your day and felt like you've accomplished very little, even though you were busy all day long?

If it feels like your To Do list runs your life, consider this: When you are at the end of your life, reflecting back on this particular time in your life, will you remember anything from your “To Do List” this week? Will you say to yourself, “Gee! I am so glad I got that paperwork done!” or “I am so glad I promptly responded to all of the messages in my Inbox!”

Often, only a small number of items on our To Do Lists really matter. If you've ever gotten to the end of your day and felt like you've been busy all day long, but accomplished very little, most likely, you are being busy, but not effective.

Being effective requires focusing on what matters.

Consider that 80% of the value of what you do comes from 20% of the activities on your To Do List. That's right! If you look at your To Do List, chances are, only 20% (or fewer) of those tasks matter in the long run.

Instead of being overwhelmed by all that you have to do, focus on the 20% that matters. Deal with the rest as you are able.


Take a look at your To Do List, and ask yourself the following:

  • Which of your tasks will move you closer to accomplishing a significant goal?
  • Which tasks serve a Top Client or Customer?
  • Which tasks lead to immediate revenue generation?
  • Which tasks further develop a system within your Business’ Sweet Spot?
These tasks fall into the Top 20% that matter.
By the way, if you can identify a task that does all 3 of the following,

  • Serves a Top Customer,
  • Leads to immediate revenue generation AND
  • Further Develops a System within Your Business’ Sweet Spot 

… it’s a top 1% task!

If you have one of these tasks on your list, shut your door, turn off your cell phone, and get it done ASAP. If you don’t have one of these on your list, create one!

Create an abundance of time for what matters. 
Be effective, not busy.

 SabrinaDr. Sabrina Schleicher recognizes that employee  problems can be one of the biggest stumbling  blocks for any business owner.   With her background in psychology, and years of driving profit in small businesses, Dr. Schleicher knows what it takes to find, keep and get exceptional performance out of your biggest investment-your employees. Access her comprehensive video training 5 Secrets to Exceptional Employee Performance (her gift to you!) at www.tapthepotential.com

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About The Author

Dr. Sabrina Starling, The Business Psychologist and international best-selling author of the How to Hire the Best series and The 4 Week Vacation™, is the founder of Tap the Potential and host of the Profit by Design podcast. At Tap the Potential, we work to free business owners from the constant demands of a growing business.

We believe work supports life, not the other way around. Clients in our Better Business, Better Life coaching program have more time for what matters most and more money in their bank account than they’ve ever had. Next, we send them off on a 4 Week Vacation™ to celebrate their hard-earned journey to take their life back!

Dr. Sabrina and her team at Tap the Potential are on a mission to change the story of entrepreneurship from one of long hours, grinding it out, to one of sustainably profitable businesses that support and enhance life. The Tap the Potential Solution™ and our Tap the Potential Family of Business Owners are disrupting small business as usual. We are on our way to making the Tap the Potential Solution™ the mainstream model for growing business.

By 2023, 150 Tap the Potential clients will have taken 4 Week Vacations. These are the trailblazers, role modeling what’s possible for entrepreneurs. In many entrepreneurial circles, it is becoming more and more common for one entrepreneur to ask another, “Have you taken a 4 Week Vacation™?” (as opposed to asking “How many employees do you have?” or “What is your annual revenue?”). Taking a fully unplugged 4 Week Vacation is rapidly becoming the recognized symbol of entrepreneurial success.

Never one to accept the status quo or back down from a challenge, Dr. Sabrina’s How to Hire the Best series grew from her desire to solve the toughest hiring challenges interfering with her clients’ growth and profitability. What sprang from her experience working with entrepreneurs in rural areas catapulted her into becoming the world’s leading expert in attracting top talent in small businesses—no matter what hiring challenges those businesses are facing—and earned Tap the Potential’s reputation as the go-to resource for entrepreneurs committed to creating Great Places to Work with thriving coaching cultures and highly engaged team members working from strengths.

As The Business Psychologist, and with her years of driving profit in small businesses, Dr. Sabrina knows what it takes to find, keep, and motivate exceptional performance out of your biggest investment—team members.