Trailhead Thoughts
“Stop what you would not start.”
- Jim Collins
Trail Map - Learn. Think. Act. ™
Eliminate to Accelerate
📚Learn
Have you ever found yourself stuck in a loop of doing too much?
The to-do list continues to expand. While the done list doesn’t seem to gain ground. Here is a 2×2 (check out the video) that you can apply today to eliminate the unnecessary and accelerate speed to impact.
Document the Current Reality - it’s been said that knowing is half the battle. This comes from taking time to assess your current state. Create your list by listing all of the tasks you do throughout the day.
Assess the Current Reality - Look back on the tasks you listed. Did they bring you energy or suck the life out of you? Did they create impact or not?
Establish the Desired Reality - What is a healthier mix of activity? Which quadrant do you want to spend time in?
Decide What Activities You Will Eliminate- Use your decision making criteria to determine what you will stop, i.e. those things that do not give you energy and/or are low impact.
Take some time, plot out the activities on a 2×2. Use energy as the x-axis and impact as the y-axis. A 2×2 can help reduce risk in decisions by looking at the decision through 2 dimensions, i.e. energy vs. impact.
🤔Think
What clutter or extra noise is holding you back?
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by a long list of tasks or issues that need addressing?
When everything seems urgent, how do you decide what to tackle first?
What if you stopped doing what you would not start?
Reflect on how you can eliminate unnecessary tasks today to accelerate progress tomorrow.
💪 Act
Apply these strategies to eliminate:
Declutter Your Task List: group similar tasks and validate understanding why each are important, prioritize the tasks, and eliminate the unnecessary.
Choose the Right Tool: use a 2×2 matrix for decision making (think Eisenhower matrix or the Catalyst energy vs. impact matrix,) or use the Catalyst hexagon for problem-solving.
Engage Your Team: schedule a meeting and use collaborative tools to guide the conversation and involve everyone in the process.
Validate Understanding and Perspective: always ask questions to ensure clarity before moving forward.