Do you ever find yourself deeply engrossed in a task but wonder if your time is well spent? I do. Sometimes I’m writing a blog, occasionally I’m researching a topic, and frequently I’m tweaking a Power Point presentation just days before I give it. I often wonder if I’m really using my time wisely.
Best-selling author, Chuck Blakeman (“Making Money is Killing Your Business”) once asked me two simple questions: “Wayne, does this need to be done, and, if so, does it need to be done by you?” Hmmmm.
Early in my career, long before I properly onboarded my teammates and provided them with the training they needed to excel, I thought I had to do everything myself. What a mistake! In time, I recognized the value of delegation, based upon appropriate training and the state of Georgia’s Dental Practice Act. Not only did that make the practice more efficient, productive, and profitable, but it boosted the self-esteem of the employees to whom I delegated those tasks. Additionally, doing so provided me with the opportunity to leave the operatory and check my hygiene patients at any point during their visit. Win-win!
Two other questions Chuck asked me were, “Does this have to be done now?” and “Does this need to be done at all?” I think the answers to both questions are based upon one’s priorities.
Kirk Behrendt, the visionary CEO of ACT Dental, recommends ending each day by listing the top six tasks to be accomplished the following day. He tackles each based upon priority, and carries incomplete tasks over to the next day as part of a new list. In that way, he is always resolving issues in their order of importance, and using his time most effectively.
Asking myself if a task needs to be done helps me maintain my focus. And, by following Kirk’s recommendation, I know I’m always tackling each project based upon its priority. But these techniques haven’t just made me more productive, they’ve given me the freedom to fully embrace retirement and enjoy numerous fun activities far from my desk! Whether helping my wife with local theater projects, working in the yard, completing a home project, having lunch with a buddy, or just enjoying my grandchildren, I get to do it all! Give it a try!
“Lost time is never found again.”
Benjamin Franklin
