The Daily Struggle

Every day, you deal in the currency of time. Some of it is valuable but most is counterfeit.

The counterfeit, to follow an old rule, tends to drive out the truly valuable unless you stop it from doing so.

In order to stop it, you must first figure out which is which.

My hunch is you already know. You sense when time is slipping away and when your focus is being shifted to an unproductive endeavor but, like a dieter downing another donut, you tell yourself "This won't matter. I'll burn it off later."

But you don't recoup or refocus. You squander.

Two strategies are usually recommended:

Confront. Tell the interrupters that you'll have to get with them later. This can be difficult.

Flee. Take your most important project to a place where you can give it undivided attention. Do not leave until you have made serious progress or have completed the task.

These traditional approaches are fine, but for one major flaw: Your biggest interrupter/counterfeiter is yourself. Even if you run off to a mountaintop, you'll still be there to daydream or take unnecessary breaks or make just one more phone call. When we put our minds to it, we can come up with unlimited rationalizations to do any job except the one we should be doing.

So what should we do? Self-discipline would be the best approach but if that isn't possible, try bribery. Tell yourself that if you complete the important project this morning, you'll goof off this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

And honor the deal. You'll still come out further ahead than you would have by dedicating hours of superficial effort. Focused time is productive time.

Another key factor: When you goof off, do so shamelessly. Don't pretend to work while you're slacking. That habit brought about this problem in the first place. If possible, go off and do nothing that is disguised as work. That way, when you are in a work mode, you'll know you are truly there.

Everything else is counterfeit.