The First Step to a Year of Breakthroughs – Conquer one in-the-way task this week 

You know the saying, “Work smarter, not harder.” It’s solid advice, but uhm, what does that mean when your to-do list multiplies like rabbits and there are still only 24 hours in the day?

Reality check, you’re likely doing everything. Many of those “everything” tasks aren’t getting you anywhere. Worse yet, they’re draining your time, energy, and focus.

So where to start?

The very first breakthrough we’re tackling this year is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to get unstuck.

Conquer one task – because YOU are your knight in shining armor

Your mission this week (yes, I am making it sound dramatic because it’s that important) is this: identify one thing you do weekly that doesn’t directly impact revenue, efficiency, or customer satisfaction. And slay that goblin.

If you take a breath and reflect on your daily tasks, you know deep down that not everything you do is essential to growth. You want to break through the wall that’s holding your business back, and you need to start by breaking away from what isn’t serving you.

Why knowing what you need to fix first works

In, Fix This Next, I highlight how entrepreneurs often get caught in the trap of focusing on the wrong things. The problem isn’t that you’re not working hard, it’s that you’re spinning your wheels on tasks that don’t move the needle.

You might be:

• Focusing on sales when you should be focused on order and efficiency to get those sales in the first place

• Worry about profit without a sales strategy

• Thinking about your legacy when you don’t have a plan for what impact you want to have on the world.

Tasks associated with your present focus may feel productive, but they’re not actions that advance your place on the chessboard unless you know you’re doing the right thing first. It’s time to take control and conquer them.

Homework: execute the conquest

Here’s your actionable assignment for this week (set aside just 15 minutes per day):

• Day 1 – Take the Fix This Next evaluation here. I know, sounds like I’m trying to get you hyped on Fix This Next. And for now, I am, because I want to you see what area you should focus on first. This assessment is THE tool to confirm what you may already have a sneaking suspicion about – or prove you wrong, who knows? You won’t know for sure until you get your results.

• Day 2 – Say your assessment results with a need-to-fix in sales. Choose one task from your list that doesn’t impact revenue (just for this week. Remember, baby steps).

• Day 3 – Take control. Completely. No half-measures. If you can delegate a task not serving what needs to be fixed, do that. If it’s purely busy work that doesn’t serve your fix focus, eliminate it.

• Day 4 – Reflect on the change. Track how you feel and what happens in your business over the next week. Were you able to make progress in your need-to-fix area? Did you feel relief? More confidence? More direction? Use this momentum to keep conquering tasks that don’t serve you.

This week’s small breakthrough lays the foundation for a year of massive growth. Because the more you learn to identify and eliminate what’s wasteful, the more room you create for what’s meaningful and productive.

In Fix This Next, the whole premise is identifying what needs to be fixed now to get to the next level. Conquering time-wasting tasks is step one in that journey.

So, go ahead. Find that one thing. And then conquer it.

Because you are your own hero! 

-Mike