9 habits of effective people

There's a huge biggest difference between being efficient and being effective. (Just ask Stephen Covey.)

Efficient people are well organized and competent. They check things off their to-do list. They complete projects. They get stuff done.

Effective people do all that ... but they check the right things off their to-do list. They complete the right projects. They get the right stuff done.

They execute and produce what makes the biggest difference for their business ... and for themselves.

Here are some of the traits of remarkably effective people, and why they're so successful:

1. They always start with goals. ...
Effort without a genuine purpose is just effort. Effective people don't just know what to do--they know why. They have a long-term goal. They have short-term goals that support their long-term goals.
In short, they have purpose--and that purpose informs everything they do. That's why remarkable people appear so dedicated and organized and consistently on-task. They're not slaves to a routine; they're simply driven to reach their goals and quick to eliminate roadblocks and put aside distractions that stand in their way.

8. They don't multitask.
Plenty of research says multitasking doesn't work. (Some research says multitasking actually makes you stupid.)

Maybe you don't agree.

Maybe you're wrong. Try to do two things at once and you'll do both half-assed.

Remarkably effective people focus on one thing at a time. They do that one thing incredibly well ... and then they move on to whatever is next. And they do that incredibly well.

[via another article by Jeff Haden, via email from linkedin]