“Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.”
― Peter Drucker

Efficient means getting things done. Efficient means shedding the extra weight that’s slowing you down. Efficient means staying focused. Efficient means no procrastination, batching tasks, and aggressively moving forward.

Effective means getting things done that matter. Effective means staying focused on the target. Effective means taking an indirect path when the direct path is blocked. Effective means task prioritization, contingency planning, and letting other people help.

Efficient is a tool. Effective is a superpower.

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”
― J. P. Morgan

The first step is scary. It means going somewhere we haven’t been before. But that also makes it exciting. After all, we get to go somewhere we’ve never been before.

The unknown is scary; discoveries are exciting.

We’ve all heard that the hardest part is taking the first step. But it’s usually the hard things that are worth doing. That’s where we can make the biggest difference, have the greatest impact, and make the most progress.

So get excited with every first step. Let it fuel you to do more and push harder. Celebrate that win and anticipate the next challenge with enthusiasm about the new opportunities.

I am so busy doing nothing … that the idea of doing anything ― which as you know, always leads to something ― cuts into the nothing and then forces me to have to drop everything.
― Jerry Seinfeld

Being busy is easy. It’s safe and comfortable. But it’s the reason we don’t get the important things done. After all, we’re busy.

After a full day of running around like a crazy person, jumping from task to task, never able to catch our breath, we feel like we’ve accomplished a lot. But have we? Did we get anything done or did we just stay busy?

Being efficient and effective is hard. Prioritization challenges us. Solving difficult problems opens us up to criticism.

Stop making excuses and do the work that matters.

“People who work sitting down get paid more than people who work standing up.”
― Ogden Nash

How do you get paid what you deserve? You don’t. It doesn’t work that way. You get paid what other people think you’re worth.

On the other hand, if you want to be paid more, you need to work on your reputation. Become so obviously valuable that other people know you’re worth more.

If you’re an employee, bring more value to your boss and your team. Work on the hard problems, become a better teammate and be a leader.

If you’re an entrepreneur, founder, or owner, bring more value to your customer. Build a great team, solve problems that matter and foster long-term trust.

And one more thing: never stop improving.

“Taking complete ownership of your outcomes by holding no one but yourself responsible for them is the most powerful thing you can do to drive your success.”
— Gary W. Keller

It’s not my fault that we lost. I played a great game.
It’s not my fault that I got a “C” on the test. The teacher is bad at creating tests.
It’s not my fault that I didn’t get that job I wanted. They’re looking for superman.
It’s not my fault that the customer was confused. They didn’t read the instructions.
It’s not my fault that I was late. Traffic was crazy today.
It’s not my fault that we didn’t finish the project on time. I got my part done.
It’s not my fault that I did it wrong. Nobody showed me how to do it correctly.
It’s not my fault that the demo didn’t work. Things always work until you start a demo.
It’s not my fault that I didn’t get promoted. My boss hates me.
It’s not my fault that the product didn’t sell. That’s the sales team’s job.
It’s not my fault that I’m behind. I have too much on my plate.
It’s not my fault that I don’t have any money. I work hard.
It’s not my fault that I’m overweight. I have a bad knee.
It’s not my fault that my kids don’t like me. They’re teenagers.

Will you be defined by your excuses, or will you be defined by how you overcome the challenges?

“It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.”
— Napolean Hill

If you’re on the team, you need to help the team win.

It doesn’t matter if you score a touchdown. It doesn’t matter if you score three goals or hit a home run. It doesn’t matter if you make 100% of your three-point shots or win every faceoff.

Likewise, it doesn’t matter if you build a perfect database, give a great speech, write an amazing proposal, or work 14 hour days for a week.

Great individual performances don’t mean much if the team loses.

If you want to win, you need to make your team better. You need them and they need you.

You put your team in the best position to win when you hold yourself to the highest standard, but also check your ego and make sure to take care of your teammates, too. The team gets stronger when you take the time to mentor the guy who’s struggling, or when you overcome difficult personalities, or when you share knowledge. The team levels up when you quit worrying about getting praise and laying blame and start giving praise and taking the blame.

The best teams win. The best teammates make everyone around them winners.

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
— Phil Jackson

The team is not your enemy. As frustrating as individual members of the team may be, those individuals aren’t your enemy either.

Sometimes your boss seems like an enemy. They’re confrontational. They don’t communicate intent. They micromanage. “Get out of the way and let me do my job!”

Sometimes a subordinate seems like an enemy. They can’t see the big picture. They’re over-focused on details. They don’t do what I want the way I would do it. “Just figure it out and get things done already!”

Sometimes a peer seems like an enemy. They nitpick every solution. They overcomplicate everything. They can’t keep up with the rest of us. “Stop bugging me, I’m trying to get stuff done!”

Guess what? You won’t win on your own. You need the team, and every member of the team is supposed to be working together towards the same goal. That’s how you’ll win.

The enemy is out there, somewhere else. They’re outside the team and they’re competing for the same prize. They’re smart and hard-working, too, so this team better bring its A-game if you want to win.

Stop looking at your teammates as adversaries and start looking at each member as a critical asset. If you want to be part of an elite team of high performers, you need to positively engage with the whole team and understand the challenges they face. You need to figure out how you can help resolve issues for your peers, your subordinates, and, yes, your boss too. Be the person who makes everyone around you better.

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
— Bruce Lee

Being consistent doesn’t mean you never change. Being consistent means that you produce the same quality output despite any change.

Consistency is moving forward despite any resistance, improving every day, and getting the job done even when it isn’t fun. It means showing up, adapting to new circumstances, and executing no matter what.

“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.”
— Mahatma Gandhi

When someone is passive-aggressive with you, it can be frustrating or hurtful. So here are a couple of tips for dealing with those situations.

1. Don’t be passive-aggressive or a jerk in response.
2. Assume this person has the best intentions, and try to diffuse the tension.
3. Check your ego, be humble, and focus on developing a better relationship.

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”
— Alexander Graham Bell

Modern smartphones are amazing pieces of innovation and technology. However, as with so many technological advancements, they’re a two-edged sword. On the one hand, we’re carrying a device around in our pockets that a few years ago was nearly impossible to imagine. On the other hand, our smartphones are great at distracting us from the important things we need to focus on.

Think about it. We’re interrupted whenever we get an email or a text, whenever an alarm or timer goes off, and for calendar events. Then there’s also all of our apps. Twitter, Slack, LinkedIn, YouTube, and many others provide lots of alerts, to say nothing about stock trading apps, news apps, and more.

It’s not bad to know what’s going on, and some alerts can be useful. Of course, you can and should turn off any notifications that aren’t helpful. Every time we lose focus, we’re less efficient and less effective.

There’s a simple solution to this chaos. Turn on do not disturb. Maybe not always, but sometimes. Consider scheduling do not disturb for some regular time without interruptions. Then put your smartphone aside and do something meaningful.