Stop Asking Yourself What You Want to Get Done

The most common thing I’m hearing from leaders is the long list of things they want to accomplish during this quarantine.

They list all of the projects for their team, that they hope will ensure they’re ready to hit the ground running when restrictions are lifted. They want to talk about their tasks and assignments and project plans, and while those things have value, there’s a much more powerful question they need to ask first.

The most successful leaders are asking themselves how they want to feel in whatever the next stage of business is.

Maybe you want to feel prepared, or less frantic, or ahead of the curve. What tasks or decisions support those feelings? Are those the tasks you’re prioritizing?

When you don’t step back and consider how you want your business or team to feel in the next stage of work, your decisions are short-sighted, and often lead to overwhelm. They lack values alignment, team buy-in, and a sense of the bigger picture.

Give yourself 15 minutes to consider how you want you, your team, and your organization to feel when this is over. THEN look at the work that you’ve laid out. Are there gaps? Where can you create more buy in, more values alignment, and more forward thinking?

I promise – this question will take your work where you want it to go, without burning you out.

PS – if all of this feels like a great concept, but you’re struggling to put it into practice, let’s talk.