Every entrepreneur you follow is probably telling you to take massive action.
They are not wrong. You have to do the work. But massive action on unanswered questions is just motion.
You can spend all week answering messages, sitting in meetings, solving problems, and checking things off your list. You were busy, but did any of it move the business forward?
That is where thinking time helps.
Make time to think about the business
One of my favorite books is The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham. The lesson I use most from that book is thinking time.
Set aside 60 to 90 minutes once a week to think about the business without distractions. Take one important question and work through it on paper.
You might start with:
Are we on the right track?
Am I focused on the right things?
What does the business need from me next?
Pick one and give yourself time to work through it. Thinking time helps you get Above the Business and see what is hard to notice when you are reacting to everything in front of you.
But there is another side to this.
Turn your thinking into action
I recently spoke with a business owner who had recommitted to weekly thinking time. He was getting clearer about the business, but when I asked what he had done because of those sessions, the answer was nothing.
Clarity without action will not move the business either.
At the end of your thinking time, ask one final question:
What am I going to do because of what I just worked through?
Then put it on the calendar and follow through. Give the next step a place in your week so it does not get buried under more messages, meetings, and problems.
The thinking helps you decide where your attention belongs. Taking action on that decision is what moves the business forward.
As you look back on your week, think about this:
Were you busy, or did your work move the business forward?
If you are not sure what deserves your attention next, book a Game Plan Call. We’ll look at where your business is today, where you want to take it, and the gap you need to address first.
