It’s easy to get caught up in busywork. You know those simple tasks that we can breeze through, like getting our email inbox down to zero. It makes us feel productive and gives a sense we are moving forward. We can proudly proclaim we are ‘busy’. 

But is this busywork actually moving us where we want or need to go? Or is it getting in the way of our desired success?

Answering emails all day with a distracted mind will not move the needle on our most meaningful projects.

Let’s say you have an important article or client proposal to write. Is spending the best part of the morning organising your office space really helping? 

Reflect on your day today. How much of it did you waste on mindless busywork?

Don’t be too harsh on yourself, as busywork does have its necessary place. We just need to be more strategic about prioritising it (hint – do the high-impact work first).

Now, think about what impact you would like to make in your work or life.

Where could you redirect some of this focus tomorrow to have more impact?