Second Cup: Productivity doesn't always look productive

banner day from the outside. I took multiple long breaks, and during the time I was at my desk I was not always incredibly focused. But after several false starts, I did write something that I needed to write. I had a conversation with someone who is both thoughtful and influential, which is always a good thing to do. I made a difficult business decision that needed to be made, so that is not bad as things go. Even if much of the day looked like open space and random email checks,

I am sure that you have had similar days. Maybe you even kept looking at the clock to see if the day was over yet. But sometimes getting things done involves making decisions, or coming up with ideas, or deciding that something is wrong and needs to be done differently. Often all of this thinking doesn't look like doing anything. It's just a nagging sense that you need to stop working on something and think about it, and you realize it's not working and you need to go in a

different direction. Or maybe you are stumped on something and need to let your brain process it for a while before you remember that Kevin from two jobs ago knew something about this topic. Maybe if you reach out, he could give you some direction. Or you think you are about to offer a job to a certain candidate, but something is telling you to wait. It feels like you're just putting things off and slowing things down, but actually you are checking another reference and you find out that

something is definitely off. All of this is actually very productive. Hiring a person who is a bad match can result in tons of wasted time, not to mention tough emotions for everyone involved. Or if you are working on a project and it's not going right, it doesn't actually help to go faster in the wrong direction, So best to take it slow and be okay with sitting there looking like you are just spinning your wheels for a while. It will be okay when those spinning wheels do gain traction.

You will be ready to go. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four then Breakfast pod. You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.