I've got a to-do list that's a mile long, it sometimes feels, and I'm sure you can relate. My list is important, and it helps me focus on what I need to accomplish and prioritize my tasks - both essential undertakings. But man, can it be a drag! What's more, it's not as useful as you might think. The time you spend on your to-do list doesn't always match up...

In many ways, your business is like an organic life form – it grows, it consumes resources and converts them into other resources, and if neglected it decays and eventually dies. It makes sense that business would in so many ways mimic their component human lives, just as the human life cycle so closely resembles (and is so utterly dependent on) the life cycles of its constituent cells. Another sense...