Significant Outcomes in the Face of Adversity

# Everything Matters

Posted by Dave Cooke on Jan 27, 2026 in Focus, Productivity, Uncategorized | 0 comments

Day 27: 29.0 miles/1:42

“Everything you do matters; focus on what matters most!”

Whether we realize it or not, everything we do results in something. Some of those influences or outcomes are minimal, others can be significant. In some cases the action may prevent us from doing something else or, it may create a great opportunity. Regardless, everything we do results in something.

How we prioritize our day, the way we utilize our time, and the attitudes we bring to our activities all have an influence in our outcomes. When I discuss this with Brandon, I often sense a reluctance to own this accountability. Whether he is engaged in doing something constructive or disengaged and doing something destructive, all have an influence in the overall outcome of his goals and his commitment. When he gets off on a negative tangent, he is making no progress on his goals. Not working out, not attending meetings, not entering in his journal or playing on the computer are all harmless activities. There is no foul in him doing these things. Unless you look at it in light of what he wants to accomplish this year.

Getting control of his addiction requires a diligent and vigilant effort. How do any of those behaviors support or drive him to his mission. When I ask him, the answer is “I don’t know. What’s the big deal?” The big deal is that he is not utilizing his time productively to move forward. He is simply using his time to kill time.

The same is true with each of us. How important is it to answer every phone call, to be instantaneously connected to our emails, to work on the small tasks at work because it takes too much time to work on the big stuff? Having a clear vision of our mission and our goal is one thing. Creating a committed focus around prioritizing our time to accomplish it is another. Not having time to work on our goals, is only a result of our creating enough distractions that we excuse ourselves from having to accomplish it.

Rethink your work and your priorities. Are you killing time with busy work or are you working on what really matters? What matters are those activities that will enable you to achieve your goals. They need to be the first component of your day, they need to be the key to a productive day, and you need to manage your distractions in a manner that you are able to keep moving forward. Every activity matters; make sure you have assigned them the appropriate priority.

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