On the D-day of a consulting engagement at McKinsey, the team thrilled the client with a proposal to cut millions of dollars in cost.
But the senior partner heading the engagement told the client, “What we are doing is polishing your furniture while your house is on fire.”
I have shared this story earlier but am resharing it because today, everybody seems very busy and is glorifying long hours.
As an entrepreneur, I can work 20 hrs a day and still not be done with my work. And I bet the same is true for you. But are we working on stuff that truly matters?
People think that startups are hard because you have to work hard. Wrong. Startups are hard because it is hard to figure out the right thing to do.
So every few weeks, step back and ask yourself, “What can I do to create the highest impact with my time?”
The biggest lesson I have learned as an entrepreneur is this: If you get your priorities right, hard work will help. Else, you will also just be polishing furniture.
– Rajan