Before you start spending time on something, ask yourself if that’s going to make a difference for your business. Are you sure you really need to worry about this right now?

It’s easy to get caught up

Maybe you’re trying to make it perfect, or because you feel like you should, or simply because you’re enjoying getting things done. But if you’re building or running a business you need to prioritize.

Differentiate between what matters & what doesn’t

The thing is that what really matters for your business is not always what matters to you right now. That’s why differentiation is so important. It’s absolutely crucial that you differentiate between what matters for your business and what does not.

Understand your conflicting interests

As simple as it sounds, this concept is actually not easy at all to apply in our daily work. Because there are many conflicting interests. Here are a couple of examples I can easily identify with:

Entrepreneurs and business starters

Entrepreneurs often like to start new things and build new stuff. So they spend a lot of time doing just that, even when that’s not what’s needed for their business.

Perfectionists (aka when you’re obsessed with something)

Perfectionists like to fine tune stuff over and over. They like to finish what they’re doing all the way. Make it perfect to the smallest details. So they spend a lot of time in the little things that usually have a very little impact on the business.

Here’s what works for me

Over the past few weeks I’ve had this constant thought in my head: “Does this or that actually matter for my business? What impact will it have compared to the amount of time it’ll take from me?” As a result I’ve made a huge difference in my business over the last 2 weeks! I shipped a new product, launched a new blog, and had the highest sale record in a long time.

Try it. I bet this approach will work for you too .

Oh and if you’re a stressed type, that’ll also help you. Cause in the end most of what you think is so important or urgent or worrisome doesn’t really matter. So don’t sweat it.

Readers who read this productivity tip also read these posts:

• Productivity tip #2: don’t work when you’re not productive
• Productivity tip #1: get off email, Twitter, and Facebook
• How this productivity tip series started