In May, Seth Godin had a post on his blog that really struck me titled Chores.
There was one statement toward the end that summed up the idea perfectly.
“The truth is that if we stop doing chores, we have to do real work instead. The things that aren’t repeatable or proven. The things that are emotionally difficult, creatively challenging or simply requiring exploration and guts to pursue.”
Seth Godin
My Perspective
I believe this succinct statement sums up the “busy” culture and highlights a knowledge work problem.
The chores are different – email, meetings, project research, benchmarking the competition.
While all might be necessary, they often keep us from digging in and doing the challenging work.
It’s easier to clean out your email box than it is to create a marketing strategy.
Or design a project plan.
Or figure out the next evolution of a website.
My Story
Years ago, I shifted my work schedule to do the hard work first.
No email or meetings until the primary project deliverable of the day was complete.
There were a lot of days at the beginning that I just wanted to start with email “easing me into work”.
I was convinced that there was something there that MUST have my attention.
Yet, I learned that if something urgent was brewing, I would get a text message.
Over time, my mindset shifted.
These days I look forward to my morning project work.
Every day a blog post is written.
From there, I choose a writing project, a presentation, strategy, or client deliverable.
Mid-morning, that email check finally happens and meetings can commence.
Your Turn
Do you get distracted by your chores or use them to avoid the real work?
What time of day is the best for you to set chores aside and dig into projects?
Can you create a routine to ensure every day has project work and not just chores?