We're ramping the productivity up by scheduling time out to focus entirely on the #2 actions or the 20% that gets 80% of the results. This week's assignment will be to schedule a day to get away from distraction to get focused on these actions.
There's a difference between working in your business and working on your business. Working IN your business is the daily grind of emails and production or appointments, the immediate things that keep things running and serve your people. Working ON your business is stuff like marketing, this class, getting systems in place for growth, learning new ways to operate, planning and goal setting. You know, all that stuff that's easy to procrastinate on. These things are the foundation of success.
You have to make a point of doing these things or they will never get done. Entrepreneurs are naturally problem solvers. We can actually pride ourselves on our ability to run around putting out fires. Adrenaline from constant stress and action is even addictive. Running around, being busy, functioning "best under pressure" can be a bit of a delusion as well as a pride trap. You must learn to chill....
I know you're thinking I'm a moron right now and all you want is to chill, but I'm not so sure you're not the cause of your chaos.
When all your time is spent on categories 1,3 and 4 of the grid, you set up this lifestyle of being reactionary.
If you will spend time on your #2s, you'll not live in continual crisis mode. It can feel like a let down, you might feel temporarily uncomfortable and like there's a void, but you'll be proactive instead of reactive. Resist the urge to create more busyness.
Not focusing enough on category 2 leads to short-term thinking, stress, burnout, overwhelm, crisis management, feeling victimized and out of control.
Conversely, spending time on your category 2s leads to inspiration, vision, creativity, clarity, balance, control, discipline, focus, efficiency, and less crises.
If you didn't get a system in place last week to keep lists, projects broken down by task and reminders set up, I encourage you to go do that now. Again, I and several others I know, use todoist. It's free, and it's everywhere you need it to be. (Your phone, your browser, your desktop, tablet, email.) I predominately use it on my phone.
I rarely get past simple adds and checking off. What I do love is the repeating tasks. I can set a task to recur on the first of every month by inputting "every 1" into the due date section. You can set yours to change your 5 stages of marketing focus on a certain day of each month.
Now, if you need to be somewhere by a certain time, you have to upgrade your account. Instead of doing that, I use my phone calendar to set those specifics and get a reminder set however many minutes in advance it will take me to get it together and get to my appointment.
I also use the phone reminders to develop good habits. I have it go off at 7pm to make sure that I'm wrapping up, winding down and going to bed on time. Part of the bedtime routine involves scheduling for the next day on todoist. I also put any appointments in todoist, even though they are on my phone calendar so I'm aware that I have that going on that day.
Essential Homework:
Schedule a 20% day. This is a day where you are not doing business as usual, and you are dedicated to getting ahead. It does not have to be done this week, but does need to get on your calendar and you need to commit this week. If you can't do a full day, do a half day, but really focus during that time. Shut doors, turn off phone, email and Facebook notifications, order pizza and go for it! Post your scheduled day below in the forum.
During this time, you'll want to look back over your goals, all your class worksheets, your project list, your vision, your action steps from intercession if you're doing that and make an action plan for your 20% day. Identify the important, but not urgent projects/actions and make a list.
This needs to be a special section in whatever list system you use. Then when you are scheduling your 20% activity times, either for a 20% day or just an hour, you have a list to pull from.
When you've gotten your first 20% day done, how did it go? Can you schedule more 20% days on your calendar? At least one per month, but one per week would be ideal. Did having that much focus time help you moreso than just taking a crack at it here and there? Or did you have a hard time staying with the project? You may have to play with this a bit to see how it needs to work for you. Perry Marshall phrases it as "Do $1000.o0 an hour work for at least an hour every day." See whether bigger or smaller chunks work for you. You've probably already done small, which is why we're having you start big. It's also possible bigger chunks can work better if you get out of your current environment with all its clamoring responsibilities. Alice and I have booked some focus time in a Taos adobe.
Optional Homework
Vegas Baby! Awhile back, it was proposed that we have an end of the year celebration in Vegas. If you would like to do this, we have a plan. It will be part celebration, part hard 20% work. We're ballparking this at $600 per person which includes your food and lodging, but not your getting there. Might be less, won't be more. We'll do 5 days in January after the new year. Let us know as soon as possible if you are interested and think this is doable for you.
Questions for Papa/God:
Maybe not questions so much as a prayer... Lord help me to restructure my days, my life to move away from chaos and into rest. Show me the steps and actions I need to take and where I need to cease and desist. Show me where I stir up busyness and where I put things into order that will benefit me, my business and everyone I'm connected with. Help me to prioritize my 20% and I ask that you would divert any distractors/distractions to the day I have scheduled for this.
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