My to-do list currently has 9 things on it that “need” to get done. 7 of those tasks have been there for over 30 days. 

I use the iPhone Reminders app to keep track of those, and recently added a section called Backlog. The thought was, lots of tasks sit on my list but get deprioritized, so I’ll move them to Backlog. 

Turns out, once they’re in Backlog, I forget about them and move on. 

I guess they weren’t important enough to do in the first place. 

When we have a long list of tasks to complete for the day, it’s common to barely scratch the surface. On top of that, we like building momentum and completing easy tasks. Quick wins. 

Checking emails, paying bills, running payroll, answering calls, booking a flight. 

Are those the best time spent tasks? Tasks that move the business forward? 

I’m trying something new. Start the day with THE most important task. Could be reaching out to 5 cold leads. Could be creating financial projections. Could be working on a marketing campaign. These are the tasks that get pushed to the end of the day…which rarely get completed. 

Ask yourself this week, what’s the most important thing you should be doing? How can you trust someone more with emails, payroll, and problem escalations?