Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1488543
G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 • G R A P H I C S P R O 2 1 producing must be greater than the per- centage of time spent consuming. And while we have to consume some to grow and learn, today's world is set up to focus on consuming. Social media is designed to keep your attention and entice you to consume more. How many times have you jumped on Facebook to quickly send out a post, and 20 minutes later, you've for- gotten the whole reason you logged on? Our phones notify us constantly so we can consume more for others. We have screens everywhere that allow us to consume any time and any place. Reading this article is consuming. e reason for this ques- tion is to ensure that we take action more than we consume. Can you take the infor- mation from this article and produce a system to go from frantic to strategic? If you are constantly consuming, even if it is helpful, useful information, it all just becomes "shelf help." e information sits on the old dusty shelf in your brain, and nothing is done with it. e great part about measuring tasks with this question is that it gives you the right not to spend time listening to the next training or signing up for the free webinar if you don't plan to sched- ule a time to implement the information. Producing, creating, or taking action has to outweigh consumption. And it is essential to understand what producing means for you in the context of success. It could be the production of a physical thing for your customers, but it is also so much more. It is implementing new ideas, taking action on opportunities, and even creating your future success in your mind through business planning, mas- terminding, and more. Producing means growth, improvement, and moving for- ward. Consumption is just that — con- suming resources with no apparent gain. It's living someone else's dream while your purpose and desires wait for you to take action. Utilizing this question helps you reframe certain activities that seem like time wast- ers. Carving out 30 minutes to an hour for watching your latest guilty pleasure on Netflix becomes productive because it produces that rest and recharge you need to get on to the next task. Scheduling a 30-minute walk in the morning before starting your day becomes the action that creates the mindset to stay focused and get the right things done. Focusing on doing things that will help you produce allows for a strategic perspective. When we control our priorities, those busy days feel like a success. You get in the flow, and you feel yourself moving forward. I'm excited to hear how you are going to make 2023 a year of being stra- tegic as opposed to frantic. GP affect my future. e higher that number, the more time I schedule for that project or task. e answer to this question helps you put the tasks on your list in perspective. You will notice that there are tasks that seem very important but really are not, and other tasks on your list you keep pushing off that are actually extremely important. Most of these tasks are the ones I call the working "on" your business tasks. Planning, clarifying your message, identifying your ideal customers, and setting clear policies are all examples of working "on" your business tasks. Reviewing this question makes the working "on" your business tasks so important because it will reduce and guide the working "in" your business activities. Posting on social media is more effective and takes less time when you know who your ideal customer is. Answering cus- tomer emails regarding customer service issues takes less time and is less frequently required because you clearly state policies that make sense to your customers. You know what e-commerce platform to pick and the tone to set in your email market- ing blasts because you took the time to create a business and marketing plan. All those working "on" your business tasks no longer get pushed aside. You are not focusing on the "what" of the project but on how much it affects your future. Does the action "produce" or "consume?" When thinking about everything you do throughout your day, this question allows us to pinpoint the highest prior- ity actions. To create success in all areas of your life, the percentage of time spent 3