LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
The REAL Reason You ’ re Not Getting Things Done
IMPORTANT UPDATE : This edition was written and ready to go to print just as the coronavirus started making headlines . We decided to continue with this edition because , now more than ever , our community needs encouragement and inspiration , which is what our magazine is all about . Please be sure to visit us online , where we are compiling DOZENS of free resources , tools , discounts , freebies , and more to help you THRIVE during this crisis : MSPSuccessMagazine . com / thrive
The other day I pulled a 14-hour day — a solid , honest , “ run through the day , not walk ” 14 hours , starting at 6 a . m . at my desk and wrapping up at 8:10 p . m . — not 14 hours stretched out with long coffee breaks , an hour lunch , a workout , etc . Food was hastily eaten standing up , coffee was made while on conference calls , and piles of work were messily surrounding my desk as I quickly ( urgently ) moved from one thing to the next . By the end of the day , my ear hurt from wearing my headset . But MOST important was that I wasn ’ t just busy , but productive , getting an ENORMOUS amount of important work done . Multiple initiatives moved forward , and I made progress and accomplished my objectives .
It seems to me that far too many people run around “ busy ” all day but are rarely productive . They ’ re constantly snacking on social media , watching videos , texting , staring into their phones , wandering around the office at the water cooler , and incessantly checking email . All BUSY work , but definitely NOT industrious . There IS a major difference , and if you want to secure a higher-than-average income as a salesperson , executive , or owner and profitably run a high seven- to eight-figure IT services business , you ’ ll have to get this very , very right . Not just hustle , but hustle on the RIGHT things with intention and purpose . Too many days of distracted , unproductive work and you ’ re too behind to catch up .
In my experience working with MSPs and IT services business owners who are small and struggling , the common thread is their complete lack of ability to make smart time choices and organize themselves , their work , and their schedules to ensure they actually make progress every day . In most cases , they don ’ t even understand the time-money link , routinely wasting time at $ 10 –$ 15 an hour while they ignore more strategic and important work , excused for not “ having the time ” to get to it , saved for “ tomorrow ” or sometime in the future when they “ get around to it .” Pfui .
This unproductive behavior is almost entirely based in a total lack of HONEST AMBITION and genuine desire to accomplish the wishes they utter or secretly hold for more money , more security , and more success . They say they want it but remain too distracted ( on purpose ) to organize and discipline their own daily behaviors , constantly holding back , hesitating , and slow-walking it . Napoleon Hill wrote about “ burning desire ” as one of the characteristics of entrepreneurial giants . Very few of the small-business owners I see struggling with productivity are really “ on fire ” and relentless about achieving their stated goals .
They aren ’ t intensely studying and aggressively consuming useful information on how to accomplish them nor ardently working on implementing what they ’ ve learned every day , teeth bared and steamrolling
Founder and CEO , Technology Marketing Toolkit , Inc .
anything and anyone standing in their way of obtaining those goals . They aren ’ t ruthlessly intolerant of missed deadlines and goals and poor performance from themselves , vendors , and people who work for them . They lack clear goals and daily , weekly , and monthly productivity measurements , constantly giving themselves “ timeouts ” and extensions . NO urgency .
At the end of my day , I know if it ’ s been a productive one based on goals I ’ ve set , productivity measurements , key performance indicators , and milestones completed and / or set in motion . How about YOU ? How fiercely committed are you to your stated objective and goals ? This edition of MSP Success is dedicated to ENTREPRENEURIAL PRODUCTIVITY because it IS a critical component to accomplishment and achievement that constantly needs monitoring , study , and improvement . Time is one of our most precious assets , and a minute wasted is one we cannot recapture or profit from . n
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