Learn to ignore trivia

It is so easy to get bogged down with trivia - both in life and in business. When you find yourself spending huge amounts of time on topics that make little difference to your business success, you need to evaluate them in accordance with some simple tests:

• Will this matter in 12 months time?
• Will my business suffer if I fail to sort this out now?
• Will my ability to win new customers be damaged if I fail to sort this out in the next week or so?
• Should somebody else fix this - if only I would let them?

If all else fails, try changing your approach to problems - or read a smashing little book:

• Richard Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and it's all small stuff, Hyperion, ISBN 0-7868-8185-2