Right now your calendar for the coming week probably has a lot of white space. You may have a few meetings and appointments scattered here and there, but for the most part you may have 25-35 hours of unscheduled time. For the record, white space is no good.
Most business owners and entrepreneurs spend their time in reaction, rather than being proactive.
One of the best ways to make marked progress towards your goals is to schedule every moment of your week in advance, as in before you walk in the door to your office Monday morning.
I recommend the following 4-step process for making the most of the time you work, so you can relax and enjoy the time you're not working:
- Get clear on your top 3 goals.
- Treat each goal as a project and determine approximately how many hours you need to achieve your goal (complete the project).
- Based on the time-frame for achieving each goal, how many hours this week do you need to focus on each one?
- Pull out your mostly-empty calendar and block out time* to work toward their achievement.
*Note: This blocked-time becomes a non-negotiable appointment you have with yourself. Your goals, if well chosen, are worth it (and so are you). If something more important comes up (read: you get a meeting with a potential client, someone is writing you a check, signing a contract, or your office building catches fire), simply reschedule that blocked time so your project gets the necessary time needed for accomplishment.
Important: If something is non-revenue generating, delegate it, or do it during the time of day you feel least productive (even during non-business hours). Do business when it's time to do business. Have fun and be off the clock when it's time for that, too.
As an executive, you have two functions: make money and enjoy the money you make.
Here's to a profitable, productive week -- with some fun thrown in for good measure.
What is your best tip for staying productive and making consistent progress toward your goals?
Honorée Corder is the author of a dozen best-selling books, including Vision to Reality: How Short Term Massive Action Equals Long Term Maximum Results.