Where do all the work hours go?

Low importance tasks steal our effort

Author

Rob Norris
December 19, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Pull to Eject

Everyone in the work force knows that they can do more.

And it’s not just because of the damn meetings.

It’s low value business interruptions. It’s mass copied emails and unproductive activities.

It’s putting out preventable fires.

One study shows that business leaders waste 21.8 hours every week on low importance tasks.

Are You Letting Time Wasters Run Down The Clock?

You can't rewind the clock to add more hours in the day, but you can eliminate time wasters.

www.forbes.com/sites/mikekappel/2018/11/30/are-you-letting-time-wasters-run-down-the-clock/?sh=44d907c85b7c

Years ago, I tried to micro manage employee time and had everyone recording work in 15 minute increments. Just like lawyers.

They all hated it.

I hated what the data showed me.

Steal back your day. Start small.

  1. Stop trying to Multitask - you can’t. Launch Key #010.

  2. Reduce Distractions - leave the phone in another room.

  3. Refuse extraneous meetings.

  4. Automate repetitive tasks - leverage software like Zapier.

Does the non-essential stuff take up the majority of your work week? It might be time for a clean slate.

Starting your own business correctly, stacks no kindling for preventable fires.

And you only work on important tasks.

Now go launch something 🚀 

Modern Tools

Zapier is a truly customizable automation tool that lets you connect your favorite tools into a personal work flow. Connect your Google sheets with Slack or Calendly. Simpilfy your Notion notes into Excel files. Or however you work.

Zapier has connections for thousands of apps and gives you no-code power to build your most efficient workflow. Tame the repetitive tasks.

Zapier | Automation that moves you forward

Workflow automation for everyone. Zapier automates your work across 6,000+ app integrations, so you can focus on what matters.

zapier.com

Old School Wisdom

Paul Jarvis’ bestseller describes the commitment to being better instead of bigger. Staying small provides the freedom to pursue more meaningful pleasures in life―and avoid the headaches that come with traditional growth-oriented business.

Company of One

Why staying small is the next big thing for business

Having personally discovered the benefits of cutting out the corporate hierarchy that constantly demands more, author Paul Jarvis explains how you can do the same. With this groundbreaking guide, you’ll learn how to set up your shop, determine your desired revenues, deal with unexpected crises, keep your key clients happy, and find self-fulfillment every step of the way.

Free Knowledge

Perseverance built the Leatherman Tool Group from a garage tinker to a $100 million company. Great episode of How I Built This from Guy Raz.

Tim Leatherman

Most entrepreneurs expect it will take at least a few years for their businesses to gain traction. But Tim Leatherman waited 7 years to make a single, $175 sale. In the late 1970s, he had set up shop in his brother-in-law's garage, scavenged some metal from old appliances, and built a tool that he'd dreamed up a few years before: a foldable pair of pliers with several other tools tucked into the handles. Was it a tool? A gadget? A knife? Eventually he was able to convince mail-order catalogs to sell the tool; and within the space of a decade, he went from selling a single knife to a million every year. Today Tim's company is worth over a $100 million and his last name has become a household brand: the Leatherman.

www.npr.org/2022/01/28/1076433969/leatherman-tool-group-tim-leatherman

Visual Crapshoot

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