“Plans are nothing; planning is everything. ”
I looked outside, it was getting dark. I looked at the time. It was 19.07pm. I almost got a heart attack!! Surely, “What did I do all day?” If you have ever asked yourself this question, READ ON!
FACT:
❗If you want to grow a super successful business or career while living a lifestyle you love, you have to be the ultimate professional. You need to be the CEO of your life and a CEO does not waste time on unproductive, non-income generating activities!
❗A CEO exercises self-discipline. The good thing though is that if this discipline is exercised, the result is ultimate freedom. Freedom to dictate your work hours and workweek. Freedom to create a life that’s is in total alignment with your values and your ethics.
In order to maximise your productivity, it is imperative that you have a plan for each goal that you are trying to accomplish. A good plan will consider the following:
✅ What is the goal?
✅ Why is it important?
✅ What is the deadline?
✅ What is the next immediate action you can take?
There are a million productivity hacks but these 5 are the foundational ones for helping you manage your time like a BOSS!
1. Eliminate Distractions
When it comes to the time to perform your task, it is imperative that you are able to focus. When you are able to focus solely on the task, you get into a flow which allows you to make rapid progress. By only focusing on one task at any time, you are able to give that task all your energy, ensuring that you do the best job that you can.
The best way to identify and remove the distractions from your work environment is to examine your own habits. Monitor where your time is going by keeping a record of your time for a few days. Record what you were doing for each 30 minute period. It is important that you record this at the end of the 30 minute period, to ensure accuracy.
Maximum productivity cannot be achieved if you are constantly being distracted. That is why, along with focusing on one task at a time, you should consider the following, though not exhaustive.
· Limit the number of times that you check your email / phone
· Turn your phone off, or switch it to voicemail during busy periods
· Only attend essential meetings.
· Learn to be assertive with people who regularly disrupt you
2. Focus on Importance
Before you go to bed every night, plan for the next day. Identify the most important task that you would like to complete and make that your priority. Then, you can identify the next 2 tasks in order of importance. When the day comes to an end and you have successfully completed these tasks, you will have had a very effective day.
If all hell breaks loose, as long as you have completed the most important task, you will still have had an effective day. At the end of the day, you will be pleasantly surprised with how much you have accomplished.
3. Know the Purpose
Lack of motivation should never be an excuse for failing to complete the tasks that you have agreed to. There is no job without boring tasks. However, the most mundane tasks also have a purpose e.g. filing my invoices and receipts is mundane but if I fail to do so, I will not be able to produce accurate accounts at the end of the year – a necessity for any business. When you find that you do not want to perform a task; you must remind yourself of the purpose that the task fulfils.
4. Use “NO”! - The Magic Word
Having to deal with requests from other people can be very stressful. Handling requests effectively is essential in many areas of life, most notably in time management. Handling requests is a lot like managing tasks; you need to identify the things you do not need to do and say ‘No’. Learning to say ‘No’ is the quickest and most effect way to reduce stress in interpersonal relationships. It can feel uncomfortable at first. It may even ruffle a few feathers but it sets clear boundaries and people will soon learn to respect you and your time. Once you become more comfortable at saying ‘No’, you will find that it improves your time management and your interpersonal relationships and it’s also guaranteed to reduce stress.
5. Don’t Let Setbacks Set You Back! ⚠⚠
When you are setting goals and working on improving your life, you will spend time developing plans to help you achieve your objectives. Many times, these plans will prove to be effective and will lead swiftly to the achievement of your goals. Every so often, your plan will fail and you suffer a setback. Setbacks happen to everyone; knowing how to react when your plan fails is an essential aspect of achievement. The simple recommendation here is when your plan fails, that is not the end of the world, pick yourself up and keep moving.
I cannot end this email without this wonderful quote that I read.
“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday".
– John Wayne
As always, I cannot wait to hear how you put these tips to good use.
Joanne xx