More often than not, I am surrounded by the questions regarding future.
- How future will impact us 50 years down?
- What tech are going to be prominent?
- What are the high growth industries for next 20 years?
- How to a part of growth tides?
- Which countries will be in better geo-political positions?
And I am daily surrounded by task like,
- Reading a pending book
- Meeting the new lead for business
- Revert Call to a friend
- Other pending tasks
- Long waited discussion with prominent person on some topic
Lately, what I have observed is the more I indulge on futuristic questions which are more ambiguous in nature, the more I loose on productivity front. There is no definite answers to futuristic question. All we can do is to assume, to form an opinion and wait for the unfolding of facts.
But the same brain storming destroys the balance, eats out lot of time and I loose much on productivity front.
So I have started following this filtration.
I ask myself, Whether it's a imaginary question or a real question?
If it's a real one than I continue, if it's an imaginary one I write it down and keep it for a weekend.
I avoid discussions on those topics with people, I avoid thinking about it, I avoid reading about it. I read, talk, think and discuss in weekend. I form an opinion and write it down. So it avoids ambiguity. I revisit once in a while and track what's happening on those fronts like Solar Energy, Electric Cars, Artificial Intelligence, Algo Trading and much more.
It has helped me to narrow my focus and priorities. I clearly know what has to be done in working hours by knowing what has not to be done in working hours! Charlier Muner you see!
At the current moment, I am very clear about my 3 month challenge & 2 year challenge. I know what has to be done. I miss out sometimes on getting things done but it okay. Avoiding imaginary questions has cleared lot of rooms for me to focus on real ones.
I am feeling more productive and helping to getting things done faster.
Hope the same will help you as well.
Last thing, as soon as you find yourself spending time on Imaginary Questions, just bookmark it and move to a Real Question!
That simple!
Mihir.