Separate the wheat from the chaff

A blog reader sent me a note about his hectic workplace.
It sounds bureaucratic with busy work and interruptions.
I sent seven vital time savers and recommended a closed door.
He sent me an interesting idea you might employ.
He keeps a white board divided into three areas:
1. Things he may not like but must do in his work.
2. Things he’d like to do if he ever gets around to it.
3. The really productive things that will make a difference.
He has one problem. The No. 1s crowd out time for No. 3s.
That has to be frustrating but it’s his own reality.
I used to suffer this symptom when I worked for someone else.
Now I work for myself and only do No. 3s. No more 1s and 2s.
If you are similarly frustrated, here’s a recommendation.
Ditch or delegate the 1s and 2s. The 3s are the big frogs.
They’re the high payoff projects that make a difference.
If you can’t do that where you work, look elsewhere.
When you work for yourself, you work for a tyrant.
But the sense of freedom is liberating to your creativity.
For a copy of my 7 time savers, drop me a note.
To share your thoughts, click on 'comment' below.
For my Business Tip of the Week, click here.

Take the high road

Several blog readers wrote to tell me Tiger Woods was not fined.
I’m glad to learn that. He actually deserves a medal.
Tiger complained about PGA officiating at the Akron tournament.
He felt an official hurried up his competitor, Padraig Harrington.
That led Padraig to make some disastrous shots.
It may have cost him the tournament.
Tiger is a competitor. Of course, he wanted to win.
$1.4 million was at stake.
But he wanted Padraig to have a fair chance.
Always take the high road with your competition.
When you play fair, you sleep better.
Never speak ill of them. Even if they speak ill of you.
Such talk belittles them, not you.
If someone knocks them, don’t join in the criticism.
Listen and learn. Keep your own counsel.
Critics tell us our competition is in financial trouble.
We agree they have challenges as do we, but we say:
"Can you imagine having no daily newspaper?"
Print newspapers have an uncertain future.
But the future of local news, online or in print, is certain.
Publishers will find ways to publish. It is vital to a free society.
Can you imagine a free society without a free flow of news?
Please share your thoughts by clicking on ‘comment’ below.
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