I’m a busy person (which is totally relative, and may be much more busy than you are, or much less busy, and if the latter is the case, I’m praying for your sanity).

I don’t like to waste my time on non-value added activities. I don’t clean my room all that often—would it be nice if it were pristine?  Sure.  Does “clean enough” get me by?  Absolutely.  I could dust every day and make sure everything is right where it belongs, but there are books to be read, people to learn from, and a world to change.

Yesterday morning I had an epiphany. I was trying to brew my half pot of morning java that I can no longer function without, and I couldn’t separate two coffee filters.  They were stuck together like white on rice.  I crumpled.  I twisted.  I folded them into origami, and they refused to come apart.  After about two minutes, I gave up, and snagged a different, independent filter that wasn’t so fond of another coffee byproduct.

During those two minutes, two thoughts passed through my head.

  1. How much are these coffee filters worth? I think I bought 200 for about two dollars.  If that’s the case, I was trying to pry apart two pennies for two minutes.
  2. Could I be doing something more valuable with my time? For two minutes, I tried to pry apart two  pieces of paper shaped like the organs of my coffee maker, worth approximately two tiny Abraham Lincolns.  I was caught up in an activity that wasn’t worth the effort.

How many things do I do each day that are a total waste of my time? Am I managing my over-extended waking hours appropriately? How many times during the day am I trying to pry apart two filters that aren’t worth the cost of my time?  Am I looking at the big picture, or am I getting caught up in the tasks that are much less important?

Know what you want to achieve during your day.  Don’t let things that could be avoided bog down your productivity or allow you to lose your sense of direction.

Don’t get caught up separating filters. Reach for the next idea, task, or situation that is worth your time, instead of getting stuck in a battle that’s a loss even if you win.