Do you start each week thinking, I just need to get through the week? People are busier and more tired than ever. By Wednesday, the calendar is out of control. By Friday, eyes are glazed over.
It doesn’t have to be this way. I’m a work in progress myself, and always eager to learn how to maximize my time and manage my energy for the things that count. Here are three things I learned from my friend and colleague Dorie Clark’s recent TED Talk, “The real reason you feel so busy (and what to do about it).”
1. Intellectually, we know strategic thinking is important But on a daily basis, we don’t make time for it.
In her TED talk, Clark (who most recently wrote, “The Long Game”) referenced two shocking pieces of research: 10,000 senior leaders were asked: What is key to your organization’s success? Ninety-seven percent of the respondents said long-term, strategic thinking was the most important. Nearly unanimous. Since when do leaders ever have that kind of widespread agreement? Yet, in another study, 96% of leaders said they don’t have time for strategic thinking. Ironically, they don’t have time for the single most important thing.
Unfortunately, I relate, and I suspect many of you do, too. Intellectually, I know strategic thinking is crucial. You cannot run a business (for long, at least) with nothing but tactical back-to-back Zoom calls. Yet, the calendar is so full! When is there time to think strategically?!