Five Minutes to Better Productivity
I’ve long realized that the secret to life is taking the long-view. As long as there’s a clear plan in place, acting with the long-term in mind tends to lead to success.
But, I’m also human, and I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve given in to short-term benefits, even if I knew that the long-term consequences would be severe. This has a lot to do with our short attention spans, and our need to have everything now. This is a problem that is very applicable to the freelancing lifestyle.
All that relative freedom makes it easy to put on our short-view blinders. Why complete that project now, when you can have fun with some friends, especially when you can wake up at any time anyway? And who cares if you’ll end up rushing to meet the deadline? That’s a week away!
Well, I’ve recently realized that consciously thinking things through can do wonders. Taking 5 minutes to consider options, and the long-term consequences of each one, does a great job of keeping us aware of what’s in store. Yes, it would be great to hang out, but not if a long-term project requires your attention now.
Moreover, the 5-minute long-term evaluation will help you avoid work-fun dilemmas. It let’s you enjoy your downtime more, since you’re not carrying the unconscious guilt that results from not getting the job done, on time and to spec.
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POSTED IN: Living as a Freelancer
1 opinion for Five Minutes to Better Productivity
Kristen King
Apr 10, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Great suggestion, Rico.
kk
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