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We’ve all been there. We start the year strong, full of enthusiasm and ambitious goals for our organizations, our families, and ourselves. We envision a future of success, impact, and fulfillment. But then, life happens. A few weeks or months into the year, we find ourselves off track, wondering where all that initial motivation went. Our goals seem distant, almost unattainable. Is it because we set bad goals? Probably not. Is it because we have bad intentions? Certainly not. More often than not, the culprit is a disconnect between our daily actions and our long-term aspirations.
This is where the “string test” comes in. It’s a simple yet powerful tool to help us assess whether our activities are truly contributing to our goals. Imagine tying a string to each item on your calendar – every meeting, every task, every project. Now, try to walk the other end of that string back to one of your stated goals. Can you make a direct connection? If you can’t, it’s time to ask some tough questions.
As leaders, we often fall into the trap of busyness. We fill our days with activities that feel important, but don’t necessarily move us forward. We say “yes” to too many things, forgetting that every “yes” is a “no” to something else – a “no” to our strategic priorities, a “no” to our families, a “no” to our own well-being. It’s like the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), where the servant who buried his talent, fearing risk, was ultimately condemned. Are we burying our time and energy in activities that don’t yield a return on our investment?
Craig Groeschel often talks about the importance of aligning our actions with our desired outcomes. He emphasizes that success isn’t about good intentions; it’s about intentional actions. Just like a general meticulously plans a battle strategy, we must strategically align our daily activities with our overarching goals. If we don’t, we run the risk of what John Maxwell calls the “law of diminishing intent.” Our good intentions fade over time if they aren’t bearing fruit from the effort we put in.
The challenge is that many things prevent us from deselecting or delegating tasks, even when they fail the string test. Like those good intentions, the reasons often become excuses. “It was important.” “I was helping someone else.” “It will look good if I do this.” These justifications sound reasonable, but the string test doesn’t lie. It cuts through the noise and reveals the truth: Are your actions truly contributing to your goals, or are they simply distractions, however well-intentioned?
So, how do we overcome this tendency to prioritize busyness over effectiveness? Here are a few strategies I’ve found helpful:
1. Color-Code Your Calendar:
Assign a color to each of your key goals. Then, color-code the tasks on your calendar based on which goal they support. This visual representation makes it easy to see where your time is actually going. If your calendar is a rainbow of colors, great! But if it’s dominated by one or two colors while your most important goals are represented by just a few scattered entries, you know you need to make some adjustments.
2. Find an Accountability Partner:
An accountability partner can provide the objective perspective you need to challenge your assumptions. Share your goals with them and ask them to regularly question whether your activities are aligned with those goals. They can be the voice of reason when you’re tempted to justify tasks that don’t pass the string test. Proverbs 27:17 states, “Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Let your accountability partner sharpen your focus.
3. Schedule Regular Reflection Time:
Reflection is crucial for course correction. Set aside time each week or month to review your progress (or lack thereof) toward your goals. Ask yourself: Did the things I did this week/month contribute to my goals? What do I need to keep doing, start doing, or sometimes most important, STOP doing? This regular assessment allows you to proactively identify misaligned activities and make necessary changes before you get too far off track. Just as a farmer regularly inspects their fields, we must regularly inspect our lives and ensure we are sowing the right seeds.
4. The Power of “No”:
Learning to say “no” is essential for protecting your time and prioritizing your goals. When faced with a new opportunity or request, ask yourself: Does this align with my goals? If not, politely decline. It’s okay to say no. In fact, it’s necessary if you want to achieve what truly matters. Remember, every “yes” is a “no” to something else.
5. Delegate Effectively:
Don’t try to do everything yourself. Identify tasks that can be delegated to others, freeing up your time and energy to focus on high-impact activities that directly contribute to your goals. Effective delegation is a sign of a strong leader, not a weak one.
The string test is a simple but powerful tool for ensuring that your actions are aligned with your goals. It’s a reminder that busyness is not the same as effectiveness. By regularly assessing your activities and making necessary adjustments, you can ensure that you’re not just working hard but working smart. It’s about being intentional. It’s about making sure your actions are moving you closer to the life and leadership you envision.
Being successful as a leader requires intentional leadership habits. That’s why I developed the Ideal Week template – a tool that helps me identify disciplines and habits needed for success and allocate the necessary time. It guides you through planning your ideal week, ensuring you dedicate time to the activities that bring you closer to your goals.
Want to give it a try? Email me at [email protected] with the words ‘IDEAL WEEK’ in the subject line and I’ll send you a copy of the Ideal Week template complete with a sample to get you started!
- Quote of the week:
“Don’t mistake activity with achievement.” – John Wooden
What You Need to Do:
Call to Action: Which area of your life needs the most attention? Is it your career, your family, your personal growth? Choose one area and apply the string test to your activities in that domain. Are you investing your time wisely?
It’s an honor to be your trusted “Friday Coffee Guy”. Each week, I’m excited to provide yet another round of curated content that I’ve been reading, listening to, watching, or thinking over. The purpose of the Champions Brew is to inspire, equip and encourage you to become the uncommon leader you were designed to be. I am so grateful for your decision to invest a few moments with me! I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Champions Brew. If you did, I would appreciate it if you would share it with someone who might enjoy it as well and ask them to subscribe! I will make sure they automatically get this email every week.
Until next time, Go and Grow Champions!
P.S. – Are you a podcast fan? Maybe the Uncommon Leader podcast is for you. Are you interested in being a guest on the Uncommon Leader Podcast? Do you have a story to tell? Email me [email protected] and let’s have a chat and set something up!!
