One of the things that holds people back is that they don’t start mapping out their day until they get to work. It’ll take them 30 to 40 minutes to figure out what’s going to happen — but if they did it the night before, it would only take 10 or 15 minutes.
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And that is why it is critical to create a weekly business plan that you tweak at least once a day. Here are the pillars of how and why:
Pillar one: Prepare and plan
We all have different days: the ideal day when we have 100% control, the day we think is going to be one thing but turns into another, or the half day when we know we’ll be out of the office.
It’s really important to pre-plan how you’re going to the attack your top three measurable and specific goals on each of these days. That way, when your day does get sidetracked or you have to unexpectedly leave the office, you don’t have to figure out how to adjust on the fly.
Related: Building a Monthly Business Plan
Pillar two: Design your week
Every single Sunday, start planning out the week. Look at all of your appointments, all your to-dos, all the activities you get paid for and all the ones you don’t. Every morning, update your weekly plan to make sure it’s in sync with what you need to be doing. Every night, adjust your plan for the next day so when you get to work, you’re ready to go.
Pillar three: Time block
Think about your calendar in 15-minute increments. Be specific and measurable. For example, if you’re a salesperson and you say you’re going to make 10 calls a week, create a time slot of making two calls each day and include the specific and measurable things you’re going to do for those two calls.
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Pillar four: Write it down
Get everything out of your head, onto paper and in your calendar. As Ben Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Make it a ritual to really plan out all of your tasks every single day.
Think you can’t find the time to do this? Take ownership. Wake up 15 minutes earlier or go to bed 15 minutes later. Find one or two things you can delegate on a consistent basis. Determine what you can do in half the time.
It’s kind of like the day before you go on vacation, when you’re so productive and get so much done because you’re hyper focused. So, determine what you can hyper focus on and then make that happen.
And that is how you Think Big!
THINK BIG!
– Jon
