Minute With Mallon: Interrupted!

Welcome to Minute with Mallon!

Something I Taught:

A business owner I work with, let's call him Mike, runs a $3-4 million company. He's smart, works hard, and has earned the respect of his team.

But when we sat down recently, he told me, "Robert, every day feels like a scramble."

He'd walk into the office, open his email, and from that moment on, his day belonged to everyone else.

Phone calls.

Texts.

"Got a minute?" conversations.

Problems that needed solving.

By the end of the day, he was exhausted. He had been busy all day, but he wasn't sure he had accomplished what mattered most.

So I asked him one question.

"What were the three most important things you needed to accomplish today?"

He paused.

Then he said, "I don't know."

It wasn't because he wasn't working hard.

He had simply never decided what winning the day looked like.

So I gave him one assignment.

Before leaving work each day, or first thing the next morning, answer this question:

If today goes exactly right, what gets done?

Then build your day around that answer.

Identify the two or three outcomes that absolutely must happen.

Add your scheduled meetings.

Include one personal priority.

Write down any important follow-ups.

Nothing complicated.

Just clarity.

Two weeks later, Mike smiled and said something I've never forgotten.

"Robert, I still have just as many interruptions. But now I know what I'm being interrupted from."

That's the difference.

When you haven't decided what matters most, everything feels important.

When you have, every interruption gets measured against your priorities.

About a month later he told me, "I feel like I got my job back. I'm leading my day instead of reacting to it."

Over the years, I've become convinced that most people don't have a time management problem.

They have a decision problem.

If you don't decide your day, someone else will.

Before you finish work today, take five minutes and decide what winning tomorrow looks like. Write down the two or three things that matter most.

You may not have fewer interruptions tomorrow.

But you'll know exactly what they're interrupting.

Something to Ponder:

“If you don’t like how things are, change it. You’re not a tree.”

Jim Rohn.

Something I Learned

I recently learned that the average American spends about 18–22 hours each week watching television and streaming content.

Think about that for a moment.

That’s nearly an entire day every week and roughly 1,000 hours every year.

To put that in perspective, that’s enough time to read dozens of books, get in better shape, strengthen your marriage, invest in your children or grandchildren, or finally organize that room in your house that you’ve been shutting the door on for years.

Now, I’m not anti-TV. Sandy and I enjoy relaxing with a good show from time to time. But this statistic caused me to ask myself a question:

“Is my entertainment helping me recover, or is it keeping me from becoming who God created me to be?”

Imagine reclaiming just five of those hours each week. That’s 260 hours a year invested in something that truly matters.

So, here’s my challenge for all of us this week: Before turning on the TV, simply ask, “Is this the best use of the next hour of my life?”

The answer won’t always be “no.” But I have a feeling it won’t always be “yes,” either.

“Our lives don’t change all at once. They change one hour at a time.”

PS, it's okay to disregard everything I just said when football season starts back up!  🤪

Something I Saw:

While on a early morning walk this week. Beautiful!

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Hope you have an incredible week! 

Robert