You might not think of yourself as a builder, but in fact every day you’re building something. You might be building a relationship with a new customer, building an inventory system or building a new business unit. Another way to think about what you are building is to consider the directive to, ‘begin with the end in mind.’
For many of us, the ‘end in my mind’ is sometimes rather blurry and out of focus. It’s true that some projects start out ‘half-baked’ and require the insight that comes from time and analysis to come into focus.
But in business, taking on too many half-baked ideas can lead to a waste of time and other valuable resources. Answering the question, “what are you building” is a good way to evaluate your level of clarity and focus. The primary reason we don’t take the time to answer the question is just that—it takes time.
For the next week, challenge yourself—pause before every task and ask yourself what you’re building. It’s a great little habit that will bring more discipline and focus to how you’re spending your time.
