What is the work you get paid to do?

For some, the answer is simple.

• I make excellent coffee.
• I frame quality houses.
• I take care of your kids
• I fix your car.

For others, it’s not so simple.
We live in an economy where employees, managers, and some CEOs get paid to “put out fires” and to answer email. Track your time today. How much time do you spend doing things that are urgent but not important?

You need to understand your own value proposition.

What do you do that creates value?

Why do people (i.e., clients, your customers, your company) pay you money?

What is the actual work you get paid to do?

These are harder questions to answer than it may first appear. Especially if you are in thought and people work.

Because it’s easy to allow low-value tasks masquerade as your job. Many need to define their job and stop the dance of the absurd.