In a world of constant distraction, true effectiveness comes from knowing your priorities and having the discipline to follow them.
I have come to the awareness that pretty much everyone I know who is in business or in one of the top jobs in a business has ADHD. It seems like most of us are running around like chickens with our heads cut off – going from one call and one meeting to the next – responding to texts and emails sporadically throughout the day. We’re all spinning lots of plates in the air. It’s just the nature of how we work today.
One manifestation of the universal ADHD is attention span. Whether it’s social media or short-form videos, or just the nature of the dynamic environment today, most of us have a much shorter attention span than we had 20 years ago. I know I do. It’s much harder to focus on longer-term projects and things that require deep concentration today than it used to be.
So what happens if you combine ADHD and the resulting short attention spans, along with continuous multi-tasking when it comes to your real productivity? You will either be in fire-fighting “heroics” mode all day and get few important things accomplished, or you will amaze people with how you balance it all and get all of the most important things you have to get done accomplished.
What is the difference? It’s all about priorities. While we are all pretty much living like this every day, those of us who know what our priorities really are and don’t let anything keep us from getting the important stuff done every time without fail are the ones who – in spite of this crazy workday and life we live – keep advancing our craft and firms.
Yes. Knowing your priorities – and having the discipline to stick to them – is what separates effectiveness from firefighting and burnout. You either know what your greatest priorities are and don’t let anything stop you, or you don’t. If you don’t know what they are, you need to start writing down everything you have to do and then pick out what is most important. If you need help picking, consult a mentor or someone you respect who is extremely successful at what they do, and get their input.
Priorities. Do what is most important every day. Do those things first. Do those things every single time. And if something has to slip, make sure it is the least important stuff for you to get done, not the most important.
Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.