What are you NOT working on?

Opportunity cost is the cost of any activity measured in terms of the value of the best alternative that is NOT chosen. As it relates to work - what are NOT working on? Are you quite certain that the things that you are NOT working on outweigh the priority, importance, and return on investment of those that you are working on?

In many instances the items that we are choosing to NOT work on are those that are difficult, tedious, boring, conflict-oriented and so on. Whereas the items we choose to work on are typically sexy, visible, and just plain fun. Basing decisions on what you tackle on your To-Do list out of fun versus boring does NOT adhere to a sound method for calculating opportunity cost in business (and your work.)

Try making a complimentary To-Do list. This is the NOT-To-Do list. These are items within your project/team sphere that you are NOT working on. You are NOT working on them for the following reasons:

• Someone else is sufficiently working on it (and has not asked for help)
• It is not your area of expertise
• It is truly not a priority
• It is not within your project/team sphere (and no one has asked for your help)

Be sure you are working on the right things - that you are not duplicating work, stepping on toes, and/or not within your area of expertise. Always know and understand what you are working on and also what you are NOT working on.

When I wrote this blog, I was NOT working on many things. As you read it, you weren't either.   So what were you NOT working on?      Opportunity cost.