Does Your Daily Task List Look Like This?

19 Jun 2009

I spend a lot of time tasking the little time I have so that I can accomplish as much as possible throughout each day and every week. Part of the reason I do this is because I’m a goal orientated person, but the rest is because like you, I don’t have a lot of time to work with. If I don’t stay on task, then I fail.

Many of my readers have a busy schedule as well and the task of trying to balance the day job, entrepreneurial work, and fun, can be an exhausting assignment. I’ve got more than my fair share of hobbies and interests, so my days are usually made up of way too much work and far too little play.

Here’s an example:

Do something inspiring (for both my family and my business)
Run/Bike/Swim (Triathlon Training)
Blog on one of my many websites
Answer customer service emails/requests
Analyze current week’s sales for my products and affiliate promotions
Finish consulting tasks
Deliver content to clients
Relax

Does your task list look anything like this? If it does, let me ask you…how often do you get to that last part? I can tell you that very rarely do I, and if my experience is any indication of yours, then we both need to relax more often. I don’t mean just sit down and watch a movie or TV; I mean sit down and just CHILL.

The thing about relaxing is that it helps your mind reboot so that you can work more efficiently down the road. If you don’t give yourself this time then you will eventually burn out, at which point everything will suffer.

Spend some time just talking, hanging out with friends, reading a book, or meditation and reward yourself with something for all of your hard work. Isn’t the goal of building a business so that we can have more time to do the things we enjoy?

It is very easy to get into a pattern of becoming a workaholic, especially if you are trying to build a business so that you can retire early, quit your job, or travel the world. I understand that there are a lot of projects you have to finish and tasks you have to organize, but just make sure that you keep a balanced perspective. I know I have no room to talk, but I plan on fixing that. Life passes us by too quickly not to take time out to enjoy it.

What do you think?