I’ll keep this short and simple today because I know you’re busy. Busy with work. Busy keeping up with your contacts and prospects. Busy with your endless To Do List, not to mention your personal life. With all this busy-ness, this simple tip may be a life-saver. Here goes…
From now on, as you look at the existing appointments and obligations on your calendar or To Do List (and certainly before you add anything new), do yourself a huge favor: Ask yourself if you can name at least three good reasons why the event or action item is on there. Try it with events, meetings, calls, lunches, coffees, you name it.
Now, of course, there will be things on your schedule and list that are not optional: taking your kids to the doctor, helping out an aging parent, etc. But, come on. You know how easy it is to fill up your calendar and then wonder, “What the heck was I thinking?”
Here’s what The Three Reasons System does (if it’s not obvious):
1. It empowers you to eliminate, avoid, or say a gracious “no thank you” to events, dates, invitations, and obligations (real or imagined) you really don’t want in the first place.
2. It helps you become more intentional, focused, and purposeful regarding the activities you do choose to engage in. In other words, when you do them, you’ll get more out of them because you’ll be more aware of your “why.”
Put another way:
A. You’ll stop sleepwalking through your days, mesmerized by routines and habits that might be outdated.
B. You’ll stop caving in to the endless demands of others (or yourself) and discover what really matters and creates positive results.
C. You’ll more effectively honor your priorities and goals and stop wasting precious time, energy and resources.
That’s it. Simple.
Give it a try. I’d love to hear how this system works for you and what you’d add to the mix.
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Looking for more ways to be more Purposeful, Polished, Present & Productive as you build and strengthen your network? Get yourself a copy of my award-winning field guide for success: The Intentional Networker: Attracting Powerful Relationships, Referrals & Results in Business. Available on Amazon and other online retailers.
Thanks for simply and effectively tackling one of the biggest barriers to accelerating our personal success. So, so easy to be busy being busy. Love your three question approach.
Can we do lunch next week? 🙂
Dave, thanks for the comment and someday I would like to have lunch. I can think of at least three reasons why it’s a great idea!
Hello Patti! I’m here in Durango, CO and loving all I’m doing – but this was a great read for me today. Thank you…and thanks to Steve for posting! D
Three reasons to make time to read Patti’s blog:
1. I always learn something valuable.
2. It makes me think about the bigger picture.
3. Often, without me even realizing it, it helps me sharpen skills that otherwise easily become dulled.
Thanks for the reminder on this. I needed to make a decision today on attending an event, and it is not meeting the requirements! Love the idea of being less busy!
Three reasons does raise the bar and will help me winnow out less productive engagements. Thanks for a tip I can implement today.
great stuff. and i bet most people cannot name one reason for most of the things they do…
Thanks for the above article. I’m re-thinking some of the networking groups in which I am a member and after using the three “good reasons” approach, realize that some of them are not serving my needs. Clarity! Thank you!