“Everything gets harder if you start going on about how hard it is.”

Stephen Covey

Have you ever noticed that certain people always want to share how much energy they spent on something and how hard they had to work to get that thing done? The amount of time spent lamenting difficulties is always challenging for me to hear as it conveys a focus on what I see as a non-value-added use of time. As a result, I sometimes find myself screaming in my head, “instead of talking about a problem, invest your very finite amount of energy into fixing it!” Fortunately, I don’t actually scream that out or even whisper it; instead, a simple phrase that I have borrowed from my meditation practices serves as a great reset question, both for myself and others. “Is this useful?”  

It is incredible how this simple question can reset the mind and focus on what is and isn’t essential. So give it a try; you might find yourself going on less and getting more done.