Consider how you've spent your time today—has it been intentional and strategic or reactive and tactical? In my research with 400 talent management leaders, one of the primary challenges identified is the difficulty maintaining a strategic versus tactical perspective. The activity treadmill of everyday work can keep us busy but not necessarily effective. Meetings, emails, and fire drills can consume most of our calendar, leaving precious little time for strategic thinking—that is, assessing our current situation, determining the three to five most important goals, and then developing strategies to achieve them.