Power Tool: Activity vs. Action

A Coaching Power Tool Created by Cory Kreeck
(Life Coach, UNITED STATES)

Determine if your time & effort is invested in ACTION for RESULTS or sunk in simple ACTIVITY.

I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened. – Mark Twain I’ve had a lot of tasks in my life, only a few actually mattered.

Do you like to “check things off” your list? Are you always busy? Never done? Feel like you can’t catch up? Have you added something to your “to do list” after you completed the task? Overwhelmed? If not, skip this tool. You don’t need it. If you are still reading, ask yourself, “Do you want to do things or important things?”

Are you willing to sacrifice busy for productive? Ready? Really. It’s not complicated. It is hard.

A pilot for Warren Buffett once told him he wanted to reach career goals. Mr. Buffett suggested he write down the 25 most important things. When done, circle the top 5. Then, avoid the other 20 “at all costs” until the 5 things are done.

What are your 25 things? Your 5? Now, circle two. Then, eliminate everything on your “to do list” that not DIRECTLY related to one of those two things. Look at your “To Do List” and try these thought starters:

• What has been there too long?
• What doesn’t belong there at all?
• What’s one task moving you closer to one of the two most important things?
• What is on the list that you simply MUST do? Why - dig deep?

A great leader said that we should focus more on doing something important than being somebody important. Meditate on this.

Are your tasks focused on being or doing? What do you need to change to do more and be less? Align your tasks to a few important outcomes.

What is it that you will DO now?