Deciding What To Do First

Deciding What to Do First How Do You Know If It’s Right? We’ve been discussing how overwhelming our busy lives can be. Knowing who you are gives you clarity and direction, while breaking big things down into smaller pieces helps you regain a sense of control. There are so many things to do, especially for self-employed people in construction. Everything on the to-do list competes for the top spot, and it’s hard to decide what deserves the highest priority. This list is usually made up of a combination of things, some important, and some not as much. “Triage” is a word that is most often used in the medical field, but it applies here as well. How do we decide what to say yes to? Emergency situations often require triage. This is the process of prioritizing treatment based on the severity of a patient’s condition and the resources available. In these situations, victims are generally divided into three categories: - Those who are likely to live, regardless of the care they receive - Those who are unlikely to live, regardless of the care they receive - Those for whom immediate care might make a positive difference in outcome These choices aren’t easy and often require quick, “gut-level” decisions. Pre-determined systems, training, and experience all help guide the process and create the greatest chance for survival. Another life-and-death decision is determining who receives a transplant when there are limited organ donations available. Imagine a set of twins who both need a kidney transplant, but their father only has one kidney to give. Who gets it? His first instinct might be to split it in half and give part to each child. The problem is that half wouldn’t save either one. The final decision would likely come down to which child needs it most or which one is most likely to survive. Most of the choices we make in business don’t seem this critical … or are they? The decisions we make every day can mean life or death for our business. In medical emergencies, there is a system and plan already in place before the crisis happens. This same should be true in business. We should determine ahead of time how we are going to identify the most important things needed for the health and survival of our business. Knowing who you are and understanding your core values will help you determine what matters most. Breaking big things down into smaller pieces makes the process feel less overwhelming. What makes one thing more important than another? What should take the highest priority? Should it be this job or that one? Production or proposals? Record keeping or customer service? Marketing or staff development? We face tough decisions in business every day. Then we add in personal responsibilities, family, community involvement, and everything else life brings with it. These decisions will look different for each of us. The important thing is to prepare ahead of time instead of waiting until your business is already in the middle of a life-and-death situation. If you would like help getting prepared before that happens, schedule a meeting with me and I will help you work through it. This might also be a great topic to discuss during our Wednesday morning Builders Coffee at 10:00 AM CT.

Deciding What To Do First

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