There is an idea long know to psychologists the world over. That is… What we focus on expands!
The more we focus on a thing the more it fills our world. The more we focus on it the more it distracts us. We can use this notion for good, or for our downfall.
The thing is, we are great at finding ways to not do the things we should do.
After all, distractions are fun, up until the point when they crush you.
If we don’t do something about the various distractions that we face they can be the undoing of us.
All those little things that take us away from what we really should be doing seem harmless.
However, those things accumulated over time can be like little nails casually hammered into our coffins. All that time is stolen from productive activities.
We need a better plan. As the old expression goes “If we fail to plan… We plan to fail”.
There is a quick fix. (This is not a permanent solution but the beginnings of one.)
The Weekly Plan
- Plan your week in advance
- Use your long term goals as a compass
- Focus on what moves us forward (not keeps us busy)
Pick one day a week I usually suggest either the last thing on a Friday before you finish your week, or either Saturday or Sunday.
Figure out exactly what needs to be done that week that moves you towards your long term business goals. (Always use your goals as a compass of what you should be doing rather than what seems to be the next thing to do. You will move farther and faster.)
Rember there is productive work and there is busy work you want to focus on the former.
The Day End Plan
- Finish today by planning tomorrow
- Know how you will start the day strong.
- Make a Task List and Prioritise them.
When most people finish there day they just stop where they are and try and pick up where they left of the day after. In principle, this seems fine. Unfortunately for most people, they get to work and then try and figure out what they should be doing and then slowly they try and get back on track. So much time is wasted before they figure it out.
The simple strategy that avoids all that is to plan at the end of the previous day just exactly how you will be at minimum be starting your day. Better yet you will know in advance just exactly how your day will be spent.
If you do this then you will always be starting the day strong. When you have the most energy you will be doing your most productive work. Because you will have lined that up first. You will have a list of thing that moves you forward and you will have put them at the top of the list of things to do.
Begin the Day
- Hit the ground running.
- Important tasks before Urgent tasks.
- Important tasks stop urgent tasks.
- Important tasks move us forward.
If you have planned the day the previous day you will hit the ground running. While most people are having false starts you will be sprinting into the day.
Don’t let urgent tasks distract you from what is important! This is a trap. If you allow them to take your attention before you have completed what is important your day can be washed away.
If you do enough important tasks, the urgent tasks will become less and less over time. Because important tasks move us forward and moving us forward tends to solve the urgent tasks. Don’t be fooled by urgent tasks they are never as important as they seem.
Focus
- One task at a time.
- Deep work, not multitasking.
- Use Pomodoro time.
- No distractions.
- No interruptions.
Focus on one task at a time you will get a lot more done. Focussed (Deep work) produces far greater results than multitasking.
Use Pomodoro time (search it if you are not familiar with it).
No distractions (phones off, internet off unless needed).
No interruptions you should tell people in advance that you are not contactable and not interpretable until your important work is done. Don’t fall into the trap of “Have you got a minute”.
That’s it a simple plan to dominate your week.
A parting word before we go…
Wise people know how our days and weeks are going to begin and end before we start them. So…
Which day will you plan your week (fri/sat/sun)?
If you are looking to Rapidly Grow Your Business a good point would be to start HERE.