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Working hard at the wrong thing: The quote is beautiful, but it’s not always easy to identify the right and wrong things. The way I’d interpret this quote is to find out the things that have the most impact. While running a startup, it is easy to get lost in finer details. We have to keep asking ourselves about the level of impact that our actions have. Based on the type of impact, we’ll need to temper our approach to save time.

So often people are working hard at the wrong thing. Working on the right thing is probably more important than working hard.”

— Caterina Fake, Flickr co-founder

Working hard at the wrong thing!

For me, this is the difference between working hard and smart. Not all pieces of work require the same amount of concentration or effort. I’ll redirect you back to time prioritization principles. We will never have enough time. We can only afford to do things that matter the most to us.

We either have to find a way to delegate or re-prioritise based on its impact. It is foolish to be doing everything at the same time. You won’t get the right results. And you’ll end up being burned out.

How to identify the right thing?

The quote is catchy, but it simplifies the identity of right and wrong things. Most often it is hard to categorise things as right and wrong. Sometimes, all of them seem important. The best way to prioritise is to come back to the value or outcome we expect out of it.

We may want to be perfectionists, but will that give us the best results in the short time that we have? We have to constantly step out and ask that question. Is this important enough? Just because something is urgent, it might not mean that it is important.

Urgent Vs Important

The worst offenders of smart decisions are urgent matters. If something is urgent, you have to stop and ask – who is it urgent for? How does this impact your work?

Isn’t this a logical decision? The premise is to do the most valuable work at that point in time – not the urgent one. Our gut might try to convince us otherwise, but the data can’t lie.

Gut Feeling Vs Data while working hard at the wrong thing

So, what’s the real balance when it comes to these scenarios? Do you go for a gut feeling and deliver whatever you think is right? Although sounds great, I’d reserve it for the motivational books. It comes down to the strategy you follow and if it is a decision which impacts the company, then your trusted team plays a significant role.

If you’re able to convince your team and provide a measured rationale, you are fully aware of the risks you’ve taken and the compromises made. The best part is that you can still make some amends to address the bare necessities which sometimes go easily amiss in the gut check.

I do love a gut feeling, but when it comes to decisions which have a collective impact, I would advertise caution since

“So often people are working hard at the wrong thing. Working on the right thing is probably more important than working hard.”

— Caterina Fake, Flickr co-founder