10 Books Every Entrepreneur Must Read Before Starting Up (Infographic)

6 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Every Day

Let's face it. Business is busy.

It's easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day and just do everything as if on autopilot, without much thought for the bigger issues at stake. I have personally been in hyperbusy mode the past few weeks. In addition to this thrice-weekly column and producing a weekly radio show, I have been driving a major initiative for a new client and readying for teaching three interactive sessions at GrowCo.

There have been lots of 18-hour days. The hard work is lots of fun and very productive, but it can often feel a bit crazy as well. I keep my priorities straight in times like this with 6 simple questions that keep everything on track, including my sanity.

Throughout each packed day, I reference this list of questions and recenter to make sure I am working at my best and accomplishing in a highly productive manner. Asking yourself these questions in busy times will help you stay focused, humble, and on target.

1. Why am I here?

This isn't a big, abstract existential question. I mean it in an immediate, practical sense. What brought me to the place(s) I am today? Motivation is key when times are hectic. I want to remind myself why I am excited to do this work and stretch myself. There are many motivating factors at play. Money, people, accomplishment, and fun all motivate me to work hard and do great work. Keeping these motivators at the forefront of my brain makes me smile and provides satisfaction with each completion. Understanding clearly how the choices I make in the heat of the moment lead to my preferred destiny helps me drive through the most challenging of times with purpose and resolve.

2. What more should I do? 

It seems odd to ask what more you can do when things are already hectic and jammed. But this question helps me identify what I might be missing in my current plan. There may be additional places where my skills and abilities will make the most difference to a project's getting done successfully. Perhaps there are issues I have been ignoring in which my attention is needed and for which I can make a positive impact. It is actually more important to ask this question on the days that I feel overworked, because it will help me analyze where I should possibly change the force of my efforts.

3. What can I let go?

When things are moving fast, priorities can change in a day or even an instant. It's important to reassess and make sure the tasks on my plate are the right ones for me. Some tasks that were high priority may be less important now after new data. Or others on the team may more efficiently accomplish them. Any time I can remove tasks from my list, I free up time and energy for more productive use. I can take that energy and put it toward something worthwhile. This is also a good question for clearing my head emotionally. I use this question to isolate any stress or frustration I am feeling during the day. Letting go of unproductive thoughts and feelings clears the way for a better flow of mental energy.

4. How can I be more efficient?

Necessity is the mother of invention, and I often create my best management and productivity routines when I am crazy busy. During the brief lulls of the day, I will often step back and try to find shorter, more efficient ways to complete my to-do list. Much of my creative energy is used on this question. I have no sacred cows when it comes to process. If I can find a better and faster way to accomplish something, or someone else can show me one, I will quickly change over. I love to get things accomplished, and each new efficiency creates a mental high and a smile.

5. Whom should I thank?

I am constantly aware and appreciative of the dedicated and talented people around me who do great work and contribute to our overall success. But when things are going fast, I sometimes forget to tell them how much I am grateful for their contribution. It doesn't matter if they are people directly on my team or outsiders who stepped up to contribute. I must prioritize making them feel appreciated for their efforts. They deserve the thanks and acknowledgment more than I deserved the support.

6. How should I start tomorrow?

I generally don't wait until the end of the day to ask this question. It's true that every day brings its own unique challenges, and too much forward thinking can distract from the current day's needs. But a little forward planning can ease your mind and allow you to set up structures that may make tomorrow even more productive. Waiting until 8 p.m. might prohibit having everything ready to go on a new initiative or getting others involved first thing. That being said, I will ask this again at the end of the day as I make my to-do list for tomorrow, so I can free my brain for a great night's sleep.

You don't have to be crazy busy to get value from these daily questions. On the slowest of days, they will help you center your mind so you can be confident, mentally free, and fully appreciative of the things you, as well as the people around you, do.

Leadership Lessons From Kevin Durant's MVP Acceptance Speech

Kevin Durant, a forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder, was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player on Tuesday. When he accepted the award, Durant chose not focus on his accomplishments or all-star talent.

During his 25-minute speech, Durant fought back tears while expressing his gratitude toward everyone who was behind him since he was drafted into the league at the age of 18. "I had so much help," he said. "I had so many people believe in me when I didn't believe in myself. "  

Even though he broke Michael Jordan's record by scoring at least 25 points in 41 consecutive games this season, Durant remains humble. As any smart leader, he knows he hasn't achieved his success on his own. In particular, he gave the credit to his mother. "When something good happens to you, I don't know about you guys, but I tend to look back to what brought me here," he said. 

Below, read about Durant's motivation, gratitude, and what drives him to play basketball.

Love and basketball

Durant said he first started playing basketball in second grade with his older brother while living outside of Washington, D.C. "When I [first] walked into the gym I fell in love with it. But I didn't fall in love just because it was me playing. I fell in love with it because I got guys like [my Thunder teammates] who push me every single day to be the best player I could be." Ultimately though, he realizes life is more than just shooting hoops: "Basketball is just a platform for me to inspire people," he said.

The players

Durant did not take credit for his MVP honors. Instead, he thanked each of his teammates individually for making him better, motivating him, and supporting him as a player and a person. He gave a special shout-out to the younger players: "You guys make me so much better without even knowing. When I need an extra push, you guys are there," he said. "I'm not always the best leader, I'm not always the best player, I don't always shoot the best in the games, but the little handshakes we do before the game get me going."

The fans

Every company, leader, or sports franchise needs loyal supporters, and Durant showed his gratitude for all of Thunder's die-hards. "Beautiful fans of Oklahoma City: I can't say enough about you guys. All the support you give to our team. The home-court advantage that we have is the best I've ever seen. We disappoint you guys sometimes, but we try our best every single night," he said. "We want to win a championship for you guys. This city, all it wants is for us to be ourselves. It loves us how we are. We're all a work in progress as men, and you still love us and I thank you so much for embracing us."

The real MVP

The most emotional part of Durant's speech was dedicated to his mother. "The odds were stacked against us--you were a single parent with two boys by the time you were 21 years old. Everyone told us we weren't supposed to be here," he said. "You'd wake me up in the middle of the night in the summertime, making me run up a hill, making me do push-ups, and screaming at me from the sidelines of my games at 8 or 9 years old. We weren't supposed to be here. You made us believe, you kept us off the street, put clothes on our backs and food on the table. When you didn't eat, you made sure we ate. You went to sleep hungry. You sacrificed for us. You're the real MVP."

15 Things Successful People Do on Monday Mornings

Monday mornings are the most critical time of the workweek, as they set the stage for the day and week ahead.

"Because you've stepped away for a couple days, these back-to-work mornings are the most memorable for the rest of the week," says Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job. "They influence your mindset in a positive or negative way, depending on what actions you decide to take."

Most successful people are keenly aware of the typical Monday morning workplace dynamic of unanticipated events, overflow of communications, and general chaos. "But after weathering hundreds of them, they realize they must gain control and stay upbeat," Taylor explains. "They take extra steps to compensate for this busy time of the week, and apply their best management skills to ensure that the day unfolds as smoothly as possible."

Here are 15 things successful people do on Monday mornings:

They wake up early and exercise.

This gets your circulation going and helps you stay alert, putting you at an advantage for a productive week ahead. "You'll get your endorphin rush, which will help your mood, too," Taylor explains.

They eat a healthy breakfast.

On Monday morning, you want to handle everything you have control over. Eating breakfast is one of those things. "You don't want to be staring at the clock, awaiting lunchtime as your stomach growls at morning meetings," she says.

They arrive early.

Do not succumb to the snooze button. "Commutes are bad on Monday, so beat the odds," Taylor says. Plus, getting in earlier than others will help make Monday morning seem more like the afternoon, because you'll have had a chance to breathe before responding to the barrage of people and issues. "Being an early bird will give you some wiggle room for the unexpected at work, not to mention any important personal matters that may arise," she says.

They clear their desk and desktop.

"Hopefully you already did this before you left on Friday," Taylor says. "But if you didn't, get this out of the way, or you might add to Monday stresses in a sea of disorganization." Organize and prioritize your files. Put aside unimportant paperwork, and keep critical files easily accessible. You want to be prepared when you, your boss, or colleagues need something at the last minute.

They carve out time for unexpected projects and tasks.

Successful individuals expect the unexpected on Monday, she says. "Your boss, team members, or staff may have remembered some loose ends over the weekend," she says, "so you're wise to build in some extra downtime on Monday morning."

They greet their team and boss.

This is important to do first thing every morning to keep morale high, but on Monday it's particularly valuable, as your team needs a special boost. "Ideally, you'll spend an few extra minutes with your colleagues on Monday mornings," Taylor explains. "It reinforces a sense of purpose and community for everyone, including you."

They update their to-do list and goals.

"Get yourself current on priorities and tasks," Taylor suggests. Then set five to eight goals for the week.

"Accomplished professionals have several goals in mind for the day and week," she says. "They know that if all goals aren't achieved, they can take pride in accomplishing most of them, and there's next week to achieve additional objectives."

They visualize the week's successes.

By envisioning the positive outcomes of various projects at hand, you can work backwards and determine the necessary steps to get your desired results.

They screen emails for urgent requests.

You can sink into email oblivion if you don't scan your inbox for urgency, Taylor says. "Star emails that are priorities, and think quality, not quantity," she says.

They tackle the tough challenges first.

The least desirable but critical projects are easy to put off, but your energy is stronger in the morning, so that's the ideal time to confront the most difficult assignments.

They make an extra effort to smile.

"It might be the last thing on your mind, but overcompensating for the pressure-cooker morning will help you get through it," she says. You may well stand out in the crowd, but your smile will likely be contagious, helping both you and team members relax.

They add a "blanket of humanity" to their emails.

It's tempting to power through all your emails in the most efficient way on Monday mornings. But before you hit Send, read them over to ensure that they're friendly and clear. "Put yourself in the recipient's shoes," Taylor says. "It's relatively easy to appear curt when you're in a hurry, along with the impersonal nature of emails and texts. You want to mitigate false starts and misinterpretations." One way to do this: Start the email by saying "Hi" and "I hope you had a great weekend."

They're able to say no.

"On Monday mornings, there will be many distractions--from people to emails to calls, meetings, offers for meeting in the break room, and so forth," Taylor explains. "Successful people can diplomatically and politely say no to colleagues by offering to engage at a later time."

If your boss needs you, that is clearly an exception. However, if you have crucial calls to make or meetings to attend, give your boss the heads-up. "It's stressful to be a people pleaser, particularly on Monday mornings," she says. "Generally, no one ends up being pleased, as you can't do your best work with conflicting priorities."

They stay focused.

Successful people don't dwell on any challenging events that occurred over the weekend or other frivolous thoughts. "Compartmentalize by putting them in a separate box as you start your week," she says.

They remember that there is Tuesday.

"In all the chaos, it's easy to believe that the world will cave if you don't solve all Monday's problems on Monday," she says. "But when the dust settles at the end of the day, you may realize that certain tasks could have waited." Sometimes, you obtain more information over time that enhances your decision-making process. Or you may find that certain problems you're pondering will resolve themselves.

Monday morning can challenge even the most industrious, successful business leaders. "But if you compensate for all the anticipated distraction and intensity by remembering to focus, plan, and stay calm, you won't relive Monday all over again on Tuesday," Taylor concludes.