Tips & Insights for Top Performance

Here are a few benefits you may gain from doing a AM Power Hour:
1. Clean out your mind so you can focus on one thing at a time vs. 9 things
2. Stay on top of things and avoid phone calls about forgetting things or being late
3. Keeps things in perspective and know what I have to do
4. Plan my days and week and have the big picture in mind (allows you to be more strategic)
* know when you have to say no vs. over-committing or dropping the ball
* accurately estimate how much time I need to block out for things,
* know when to ask for help
5. Are more productive, getting things done and making progress
6. Ensure you get the “behind the scene” paperwork done too (the important things)
7. Helps to get the frogs done (not procrastinate)
8. Keeps a clear schedule so you know what you need (if I need to work late, etc.)
9. Get out of the gate sooner; able to start the day at 7:30 without chasing tale for hours
10. Be in control of your day vs. your day and everything else controlling you = reduced frustration!

Many people think they already do this “in their mind” but don’t take the time to do it on paper. Others, feel they don’t have time to stop and do this. The amazing thing is, if you do it, you will have more time to do this and the other things. The key is the DISCIPLINE to stick to it. You have to make it a routine in your day; otherwise it is just hard to make it happen. If you miss a day, don’t stress. Try again tomorrow. The truth is, when you do it you will be more effective. When you don’t, you will absorb time trying to get your barring and might not be doing the things that matter the most. Do you care how your day unfolds? If so, try a Power Hour.

Do you find yourself amazed at how quickly the months pass? Do you find yourself in a small panic over all you know you have to do and how little you feel you are actually accomplishing? Join the crowd! We live in a busy world where our time, priorities and energy are constantly challenged. The reality is that there is simply not time for everything and we don’t have enough energy to complete everything. Bummer, I know! If only God had created the world with 8 days in a week or 30 hours in a day…. sounds good? Maybe, but really we would just quickly absorb that time too and be in the same spot.

What can we do? There are 5 simple steps to create greater success by managing our time and getting things done in business and life that are important.

1. EVALUATE. What do I really want? Where am I headed? What am I doing now?
2. GET REAL. What is really important that will impact and support your long term goals the best? What is not important? What is distracting me? What is not really supporting my long term goal?
3. PLAN. What do I need to do to accomplish my goal? What are the KEY action steps? How will I do this? What schedule or strategy will keep me focused?
4. FOCUS. Who do you need to be and what structures do you need to have to accomplish this (mindset, attitude, accountability)?
5. MONITOR/EVALUATE. Am I doing little, unimportant things? Am I procrastinating? What is working/ what is not? How could I streamline what I am doing?

What happens with good intentions and goals…

Plans begin as ideas in our head; we desire to have or do something. The key to the success of the idea is a plan. You know the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Sometime our ideas will make it to paper in the form of a SMART goal and sometime not. If we do write a goal people sometimes we will create some action steps, but rarely do they take the time to thoroughly think through what actions are actually needed at each stage to accomplish the goal completely. Sometimes people will start planning and get overwhelmed at how much work it will actually take or get overwhelmed with the process and give up.  Often our goals remain our dreams because we fail to carve out time to make them reality. A management tip is to create a plan from start to finish. With this plan, decide if you have the time, energy, resources and desire to bring it to completion. Next, estimate HOW LONG each task will actually take. It is common to underestimate how much time each step will take and therefore it never gets done.  Remember, if you are going to add something to your schedule, you must also plan to say “No!” to something else to make time to accomplish your goal.

Step 1: EVALUATE…

To create an effective plan, begin with a careful evaluation. Most people are constantly evaluating their present state without much problem. We are constantly assessing, “What do I really want right now?” We look at things around us and talk about what we would like to be different in our life. We talk about our goals, New Year’s Resolutions, current intentions, etc. We often state them as fact and sincerely intend to accomplish those in our life. We see how they would make a positive difference and desire for them to happen. There is a small percentage of people who also evaluate the questions, “Where am I headed?” and “What will it take for me to get there?” Evaluation is a tool that allows you to anchor where you are now, determine where you want to go and create markers along the way to ensure you stay on course.  Without a longer term vision, we tend to react to current situations, “I need to make more money, I need to lose weight, I need to get this business off the ground, etc.”  This leads to wandering through life without focus or purpose. Evaluate the present and then also evaluate the future and what it would take to get there.

Step 2: GET REAL…

Then, get real. Does this fit in with where you are headed with your long term goals in your life? What is doing this going to get you? What is the cost (consider time, money, energy, emotional, etc.) Are you willing to pay it? If you do really want this, what is going to be important that you do? What is distracting you from making this happen?

Identify Key Result Items:

· Write exactly where you are headed and what this is going to get you.

· Identify what you will have to do and write that down.

· Identify what you will have to say “no” to and commit to 3 things you will have to stop to make this happen. Identify what this will “cost” and write down how you will “pay” for it. (This is not just financial, it may be something intangible like – COST: time with the family, PAYMENT: work later during week, but home Friday for dinner and family day all Saturday.)

· Identify 5 main distractions and how you can eliminate those.

Step 3: PLAN…

Next, plan what it will take to make this happen. You already have some Key Result Items from your Get Real Exercise. Take those and add to the list other ideas of what you know you will need to do to accomplish your goal. What are specific action steps you will need to take? Stop a minute and in your mind focus on your long term goal. See it in full and complete form. What is there? What are you doing? What do you notice about yourself and your actions? Now, in your mind walk backwards what did you do to get there? For example, if part of my long term goal is to have a thriving independent business, I may visualize myself in an office with the flexibility to be remote. Part of what I would need to do is establish an office, design portable systems, have a virtual assistant, have tools and resources for office work, etc. This becomes one Key Result Area: A functional Office. Then I walk backwards and plan steps I would have taken to create this functional office. Put dates on each broken-down action step and estimate what it will take to make each step happen (time, cost, etc.).  Allocate completion targets accordingly.

Step 4: FOCUS…

Now that you have your plan flushed out and in place, who do you need to be to accomplish this? Going back to your vision of your completed goal, what mindset and attitude did you have throughout the project? How did you do this? What schedule or strategy kept you focused? What systems of accountability did you have in place? What kept you on track and focused? One of the most common errors people make is IF they get their plan complete, they begin work and get caught up in the rush of life again and start reacting and forget about their plan. When you created your plan you were looking at the big picture. When you are working in the trenches of life, you are limited to see what is in front of you, unless you stick to the plan. There is nothing wrong with evaluating and refining your plan as you go, but only when you are looking at it in perspective of the whole picture and not the short term moment. The story is told about the caravan crossing the Sahara desert. The desert was barren and large. Many parties got lost crossing the great plains as they could not see their destination over the horizon. A team went in and put in markers for travelers to focus on as they crossed so they would use each marker as a point of reference until they could see the city. This allows many parties to cross the treacherous desert in the most direct and efficient path. This is your plan. Plan it well, establish milestones to focus on, trust them and stay the course!

Step 5: Monitor…

Step back occasionally and evaluate what you are doing. Go back to step one. How are you doing? What is working what is not? Are you on track or off course? Make adjustments to get on track, re-design what is not working to new solutions and refine the plan in area that would increase efficiency or results toward your goal. Keep your long-term goal in mind and check to make sure your short term goals are supporting the long term goals. Notice your behavior. Accomplishing big goals is hard work. Plan first and keep your eyes on the pre-set short term goal that position you to reach your bigger vision.

Bottom line…

None of these strategies are rocket science. The challenge is to maintain the discipline, focus and clarity to implement these basic strategies. Evaluate your long term goal, be realistic, plan, set structures for focus and have check points to monitor. Invest your time in your plan and maintain the course once it is set. If you are serious about these goals, take action today. Insure your success by developing an accountably system for yourself. Hire a coach as your strategic partner to run with you. Find a buddy in a similar situation. Whatever it is, build environments to support your vision. Take the time to plan and design structures for success and you will see a difference! Here’s to you and your success! Have fun!

We are on the edge of the holiday seasons. Our excitement stirs as we think about the smells, activities and fun that each event brings. But, just as joy fills our thoughts, stress often fills the body!   All of the to do’s, dates, expenses, people and other holiday demands fill our minds. It’s time to make this year different! Here are 5 basic strategies to help you plan a balanced and joyful holiday:

1. Have a VISION.  Spend a few moments dreaming about the holidays.  Consider what you want your holidays to look like this year.  Think about your essential 8 (work, health, money, space, family, friends, fun, spiritual). How do you want to handle work, family, personal and outside obligations?  Take a few minutes to picture your vision and then write it down. What is important you that you want to do? What is not included in your vision? What is different this year than you have done in the past?

2. CLEAR Your Mind.  Thinking about all the things that you have to do, divide a piece of paper into the 4 major categories that represent where you will be spending most of your time this holiday season. (i.e. work, family, home, church). Jot down everything that must be done and all the things you would like to.  What is most important for you to finish by the end of the year (projects, deadlines, etc.)?  What commitments are on your plate over the course of the next few weeks?  What would you need to do to make your holiday vision a reality?  Be sure to consider each area of your life.  List everything here, even little things. If you don’t, it is like having 20 windows open on your computer and your brain will work slower. You can’t afford forgetfulness or delays at this busy time of the year. WRITE IT DOWN!

3. PRIORITIZE you projects.

a. Deadlines and Time. Note when each project must be done and how much time this will take you. This is just simple reality check. There are only so many hours. Is it realistic you will get this done? Do you need to do it, delegate it, ask for help or trash it? Don’t set yourself up to fail before you’ve even started!

b. Evaluate. Review your list and consider which items are the most important and which are the least important.  Highlight the items that are MUST DO’S. Do yourself a favor, and cross off the things that are wishes, but you know you will simply not have time to do.

c. Commit.  In order to accomplish your vision and necessities, what will you do and will you NOT do? For example, my vision is to do 3 Christmas activities with my family, so I will commit to putting those on the calendar and I will commit to baking cookies on one day only (will NOT get stuck in the kitchen each Sat.). or my vision is to take Christmas Eve, Day and one day on either side off, so I will arrange to block out my calendar and will commit to NO appointments on those days.

4. STREAMLINE your projects/tasks. Determine what tasks need to be accomplished in order for each item on your list to be completed.  So that you’re making minimal shopping stops/errands and spending minutes instead of hours doing research and on-line searches, it’s important to “GROUP” like tasks.  Have a clip board with the following sheets on it: Gifts, Errands/Shopping, Office, Home, and Scheduling. As you think about your projects, put the to-do’s on the “GROUP” lists so that you can quickly reference it and accomplish more in less time. For example: Gift Giving. Think through all the people you want to send cards to, give gifts to – from friends, family, business colleagues, neighbors, service professionals (mailman, hairdresser, etc.), the people for whom you purchase gifts each year.  Be sure to note budget, likes and details like each person’s birth year and size.

5. PLAN how you will get it done! For each area on your list, ask yourself “How will I stick to this plan?” Create for yourself a system that will ensure that you follow through on the plan that you created.  Now that you have your projects, priorities and groups, put what you will do, how will you do it and when you will do it. Planning time for your projects is a sure way to guarantee your success.

a. Use one calendar; put all professional and personal appointments on your calendar.

b. Make sure to block out accurate time to complete the project/tasks.

c. Set up buddies/accountability as needed to make sure you keep the appointment/deadline.

d. Make sure to schedule any “prep” work that needs to be done for projects.

e. Review the next day’s schedule/plan each night before you go to bed.

f. Make sure to schedule time for self-care!  To perform at your best emotionally, mentally, and physically, take time each day to take care of yourself:  exercise, drink water, take your vitamins, get enough sleep, and relax!

Once you create you plan, stick to it! Do not procrastinate, because your plan is built on deadlines and priorities. So force yourself to get it done. This often works best by doing the “hard” thing, first thing in the day. As you follow your plan, you load will get lighter, the system works and your holidays become balanced and joy filled.

*Special Holiday gift for you: Would you like to have a mini Balance Wheel to put in your wallet or in a place to help you remember this balance all year long? E-mail me.