Posts Tagged ‘time management’

By Michelle Hutchinson

When I first made the decision that I was going to leave the corporate world and build my own business I thought “How hard can it really be?  So many are doing it and making money.”  My reality was quickly shattered when I realized everything that had to go into this venture.  So when I found Katana and Smart Women’s Coaching® I was relieved.  Here was someone who could help me.

Some of you may know this story but in the beginning I was Katana’s client.  She was helping me build a business around training and efficiency, which is my specialty.  It only took about 4 sessions together to realize that we would make a bigger impact if we partnered our skills. 

Katana refers to this as Front Stage/Back Stage.  We both have our areas where our skills are strong and areas where our skills are a little lack.  So partnering really made sense.  In fact, this concept of Front Stage/Back Stage is the exact process she used to create a million dollar business that ran without her, so she could retire at 48 to create the Smart Women’s Coaching Programs®.

So when I hear the word Solo-preneur I want to laugh.  This word should not exist.  You can’t do it alone.  Let me repeat that…You cannot do it alone.  There is so much to do with marketing, branding, attracting clients, and all the social media to name a few.  Then there’s product creation and scheduling clients, teleseminars, Webinars….the list goes on.

And what about your mind-set?  Who is there for you when you feel overwhelmed and can’t go on?  Some of you may have spouses and friends that can help but they may not even understand what you’re going through.  Ahhhhh

I don’t want to scare anyone – in fact what I aim to do is encourage you.  Your decision to be an entrepreneur is an admirable one.  You have a dream and you’re going for it and that should be commended.  You’re an inspiration to others and building a path for future generations to follow in your footsteps.  Good for you!

You’re an inspiration to others and building a path for future generations to follow in your footsteps.

My point is that if you consider yourself a “solopreneur” then stop.   Find someone who compliments what you offer and build a partnership.  For many coaches and entrepreneurs they have an ongoing stream of ideas and dreams but no one to carry them out.  In that case you may need a VA or consider partnering with someone who has the skills that you lack.

You may be thinking ‘but I can’t afford that right now’, then I ask you to do this exercise:

1. Go through a typical day or week and keep track of what you’re doing.
2. Categorize the activities by “Tasks that I’m good at that make me money” and “Tasks that drain my energy and do not make me money”
3. Take the second draining category and multiply that time by what you charge.
4. This amount will tell you how much of your valuable time is wasted doing things that you do not enjoy and do not bring money into your business.

Example: 2 hours a day x 5 days a week = 10 hours a week wasted x $125 a hour = $1250 a week in wasted hours.  Do you think you can find someone to work for 10 hours for less than $1250 a week?

You may be surprised that there are people out there who enjoy doing the things that you don’t like.  And you may find that there are people out there who quiver at the thought of doing the things that you love.  That’s exactly what Katana and I found.  Some of the things that she enjoys doing, simply drains my energy thinking about them, let alone doing them.  In return I have taken over many of the tasks that drain her energy.  It’s a total win/win and we love it!

So reach out to others.  Find a network of people either locally or globally for support.  There are many Facebook groups and organizations that connect people.  To name just a few, check out the iCoach Network,  The Thrive Hive, and SheNowOrg.

And of course there’s Smart Women’s Coaching.  We love to promote and help others succeed so if you’re not currently receiving our ezines please sign up at smartwomenscoaching.com , be part of our Smart Women movement and share this with your friends.

Please do not give up your dreams.  In the very successful book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill he says “Temporary defeat is not permanent failure.  It may only mean that your plan wasn’t sound.  Build other plans and start over again.”

When you’re done figuring out what doesn’t work the next logical step is figuring out what does.  Good luck to you and keep dreaming!

The Shift Network is hosting the Inspiring Women Summit 2013.  Click the link below to register and learn more.

Are we having fun yet? That’s how it feels sometimes as we fly through our life simply trying to keep up with the chaos. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Over 10 years ago, I started using a time system that changed my life and I have shared it with hundreds of others since that time. This system is perfect for the entrepreneur, self employed, coaches, consultants, healers and anyone who is in the service industry working with a client base.

Most of the world operates from the 9-5, Monday through Friday time system which was set up to move massive amounts of people at the turn of the century into and out of the workplace in a systematic way.  As an entrepreneur, we can work any schedule we can imagine and that’s what my time system is based on. And isn’t that one of the reason you wanted this lifestyle in the first place…to have more freedom and flexibility in your schedule?

There is more to this system then what I can share in this article so my goal today is to get you thinking differently about how you plan your day, you week and your life.

The Perfect Life Time System is made up of three different types of days:

Perfect Days – These are the days when you are rejuvenating, having fun, doing things to increase your energy and joy in life and deepening relationships with your friends and family. On these days, you are totally unplugged from work and from your “To Do List”. These days are also planned out in advance. You plan these days first! So often these days get lost or by the time we do take a perfect day or vacation – we are totally burned out. This is not the goal for this time system. The goal is keeping you energized and rejuvenated so you can be happy and productive.

Power Days – These are your “Money Days” when you are in the zone, focused on your unique abilities and talents, doing the things that you are naturally great at and that bring you the most income and satisfaction. In the last two articles, I talked about how to identify these activities and if you still haven’t done the last two exercises, I suggest you go back and do them now.  Learning this process and implementing it will take discipline but it’s so well worth it.

Prep Days – These are the days when you are cleaning up messes, working on your “To Do List”, organizing and being very mindful – planning for fabulous Perfect Days and effective Power Days. Stephen Covey, in his book, The 7 Habits of the Highly Effective Person” calls these Quadrant 2 activities when you are working on tasks that are “Important and Not Urgent”, so in other words, you are strategic and mindful about how you plan out these days.

In the beginning you will have more Prep Days as you are trying to get organized, learn how to delegate, set up systems and hire staff or outsource, but after a while you will be able to shift to more and more Perfect Days and Power Days.

As I mentioned in the beginning of this article there is a lot more to implementing this system, and it’s part of an entire Perfect Life Process that I teach.  So today’s exercise is simply to spend some time identifying what your idea Perfect Day, Prep Day and Power Day would look like.

Once you do this, the next step is to get your calendar out and to reshape your workweek and your year.  I have used this system for 10 years, and so has my team. In the past, it’s allowed me to work three weeks and take one week off on a regular basis, and it has given me the ability and permission to control my calendar, stay rejuvenated and to be able to work on my business.

If this idea is intriguing to you and you are willing to do these first three assignments then contact us at info@smartwomenscoaching.com and let’s get you started.

Every time we release anything that no longer is serving us, we are opening up space for more of what will serve us today. This could be cleaning out our closet, our bookkeeping, our refrigerator, even cleaning up our relationships.  Each day, we are either expanding or contracting.

I choose to grow and thrive.  What about you?

Take a few minutes today to look around your life.

• What is it that you have been holding on to that is no longer servicing you?
• What is it that is holding you back from living with joy and abundance?
• What is it that is draining your energy?

Schedule some time now to clean up messes and to get organized. Put the appointment with yourself on your calendar and stick to it.

In my Perfect Life Time System, I call these Prep Days. Steven Covey calls these “Quadrant Two” activities – when you are working on things that are important, but not urgent.  It’s when you are cleaning up messes and preparing for fabulous Perfect and Power Days.

By investing time today to clean up messes, get organized and to care for yourself, you will automatically be freeing up your energy, time and abundance in the future. Watch how things begin to shift in all areas of your life as you release and make room for more. Remember, everything is energy.

In last week’s article, I gave you an exercise to help you raise your energy and attract more wealth into your life. Did you take the time to do it? If not, I highly recommend doing this first and then coming back to this week’s exercise.  Here is the link to Double Your Income and Double Your Time Off.

Today’s Exercise:

Take a look at your list from last week’s exercise and do the following:

• Simply cross out some items you can eliminate immediately. That was simple!
• Now pick the items you can delegate and outsource and find someone to help you.
• Then schedule time today in your calendar to take the first step in this process.

Start with one simple step and take action now.

This process I am sharing with you today (along with last week) will change your life by giving you more time, energy, money and freedom for the rest of your life. All you have to do is follow the process and watch the shift.

Next week, I will share the time system I use to stay on track that really leverages my time, energy and money, so be sure to do this assignment first!

If you had the choice to double your income or to double your time off, which would you choose?  It is possible, maybe not over night, but it is possible over time if you learn the steps, follow the process and stay on track. It’s all about consistency and implementation.

In this new age, you are rewarded for your results, not activities.  You are paid for your outcomes, rather than hours you work.

If you can double your value, you can double your income.  How?  By identifying the things you do that contribute the most to yourself and your clients.

 I often refer to the 80/20 Rule: 

• That 80% of our results come from 20% of our activities.
• That 80% of our income comes from 20% of our clients.
• That 20% of the people generate 80% of the revenue

So think about how you can incorporate this rule into your life by spending more time on your most effective activities.  There are steps you can take whether you are an employee or an entrepreneur.  I believe you need to think of yourself as an entrepreneur even if you are an employee, but that is another story.

How can you reinvent your career – what you do every day – to bring you more income, freedom and joy? 

Four Simple Steps:

1. Bring out a piece of paper and draw a line across the top and one down the middle. Now put a smiley face on top of the left column and an unhappy face  on the top of the right column.
2. On the left side, identify what are the things that you love to do, that you do well and that also bring you the most revenue.
3. On the right side, identify all the things that drain your energy, that you put off, that you are terrible at or simply don’t get paid well for.
4. Now eliminate, delegate and outsource all these items from the right side that are draining your energy and sucking your money so you can focus 80% of your time on the things items from the left side that you love, are great at and make you the most money.

It truly is that simple, but you might need some help with this.  I find most people do need support – but once they get it and begin to implement this process the magic begins.  I’ve seen it in my clients lives and I have used this secret over and over to not only create lots of wealth, but to give me the freedom to travel, make a difference and really live the life I love.

This is one of the smartest and fastest ways to double your income or time off.  It will require some work and investment initially on your part, because after you eliminate, you are still left with delegating and outsourcing.  This step will involve trust, giving up some control and ultimately result in your stepping into your power!

Now I invite you do to two things. 

• Do the exercise above right now or at least put it in your calendar right now…then see how you feel when you are done and share it with us below in our FaceBook group.
• If you want help with your list when you complete it, click here to book a complimentary appointment with Michelle and me to take the first step in creating more time, freedom and money in your life by taking action with that list.

This process works and I can’t wait to hear what you discover, learn and create in your life, your business and your finances with it!

Michelle here…and as an efficiency coach here at Smart Women’s Coaching® I usually look at the oldest processes in your business first.  You know…the ones you’ve been doing for so long that you don’t even think about them anymore.  You may not even remember how they got started.  It’s just the way you’ve always done it.

So it may be surprising to hear that it’s probably where the majority of your efficiency gaps and energy wasters will be found.  Technology is always improving, updating and making things easier and yet most people will insist they don’t have the time to learn.  The fact is you can’t afford the time that’s being wasted by not learning.

Whenever I hear “That’s the way we’ve always done it” I know that I need to address that process first.  It always reminds me of a funny story I heard many years ago. It goes like this…

A mother was teaching her young daughter how to make a pot roast.  The recipe was a very old recipe that was handed down from generation to generation and it was a tradition to teach the younger women in the family.

“The first thing you must do”, said the mother “is cut off the ends of the pot roast.”  The daughter, curious as to why that was necessary, asked her mother why they had to cut off the ends.

The mother replied, “That’s just the way we’ve always done it.  My mother did it that way and her mother did it that way”.

Not satisfied with that response the girl went to her Grandmother and asked the same question. “Grandma, why do we have to cut off the ends of the pot roast before we cook it?”

Her Grandmother gave her the same answer…”That’s just the way we’ve always done it.  My mother taught me to do it that way.”

Still not satisfied with this reasoning, the girl finally went to the source of the recipe…her Great-Grandmother.  “Great Grandma, I would like to carry on the tradition of your delicious pot roast but I have a question for you.  Why do we cut off the ends of the pot roast before we cook it?”

The elder woman of the family gave this great insight into the mystery of why they’ve ‘always done it that way’…”Oh honey”, she said, “When I was first married, the pot I had wasn’t big enough for the whole pot roast so we always had to cut off the ends so it would fit in the pot.”

So you see, just because you’ve ‘always done it that way’ does not mean you should continue to do it that way.  (Think of all that wasted pot roast.)

Now take a moment to think about some of the tasks that you perform that you’ve always done a certain way.

• Can it be updated with newer technology or programs?
• Is it possible there’s a better way to do it but you haven’t taken the time to learn how?
• Can it be eliminated all together?

Sometimes it takes someone looking in from the outside to see the problem.

I have helped many people simplify their systems freeing up time, saving money, and improving productivity.

If you’d like some help finding your efficiency gaps and energey wasters then click the link below and schedule a consultation to see how I can help you.

And catch yourself the next time you say “It’s just the way I’ve always done it.”

This idea of “Do Less and Enjoy More” came from my mother in law, Joanne who lived a life of simplicity that included being present and really making everything and every day count. Pretty nice philosophy, eh?

With our business lives, most of us today find ourselves dealing with chaos, to do lists, appointments and commitments that drain our energy and zap our inspiration and joy.  We often end up overwhelmed, exhausted and even lose our confidence.

“Do Less Enjoy More” is about learning to focus on the things that bring you joy and results and then taking the steps to release, eliminate and delegate anything that is creating stress, draining your energy and not giving you results …PERIOD.

Exercise:
Take out a piece of paper. Draw a line down the middle and a line across the top. Then on the top left write Doing More and Enjoying Less and the top right, Doing Less and Enjoying More. Then under the “Right” column, list all the things that are bringing you joy, great income, energy, and results. Under the “Left” column list all of the things that drain your energy and confidence, and the things that you continually put off doing or create feelings of fear, guilt or regret.

Now while looking at this list think about what areas of your life or specific projects you would like to focus on for the next 90 or 180 days (next 6 months). Only pick a 1-3.

• An example of Doing More and Enjoying Less would be over scheduling multiple events or parties in one day. This often happens around the holidays and I ask people, how can you be present and really enjoy yourself when you pack so much in to one day.
• It can happen on a vacation when we do this, we often come back “needing a vacation” – totally exhausted.
• In your business – it would be over committing and then under delivering which zaps your confidence.
• In your personal life – it would look like not taking time for yourself for self-care or not spending quality time with those who are really important to you or always having a long to do list.

Deepak Chopra has 3 questions you should ask yourself every day that will help you identify what you should be focused on:
• Is if fun
• Is it easy
• Am I getting results

Final Step:
I challenge you to look at your life by taking out your calendar and your “to do” list and then asking yourself these three questions above every day. Then take these two steps:

• Begin to move in the direction of what brings you joy, pleasure and results
• Begin to eliminate everything that is creating stress, draining your energy and not giving results, you life will begin to flow, your health will improve and you will begin to experience true prosperity.

I invite you to take my free step-by-step 7 part audio course: Create Your Perfect Life, where I help you identify what you should be focusing on – just visit www.perfectlifefocus.com now to get started and to pick up your free gifts!

© 2012 Katana Abbott Consulting , PLLC

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

“Certified Financial Planner and Prosperity Coaching Katana Abbott teaches soul centered entrepreneurial women how to awaken their brilliance and create wealth while making a difference in the world. Get her FREE 7 Part Audio Course:  Create Your Perfect Life by visiting: www.PerfectLifeFocus.com now!

Ladies, it’s time to put ourselves on the list. With everyone pulling us in every direction and all wanting a part of us, it’s so easy to keep moving our own needs down to the bottom of the list, but let’s think again.

A few years ago, I was told that I needed both knees replaced. The doctors wouldn’t do the surgery until I was older (after 50) and quite frankly, I am putting it off as long as possible. In fact, I hope to avoid it. Because I am passionate about what I do,  I tend to be a workaholic. The problem I run into, is that I can put self care on the back burner and that’s probably part of the knee problem.

When I turned 50, I realized that unless I take action now, having lots of money and poor health is a terrible scenario. Besides, my husband is five years younger than I am and when he retires, we have plans for lots of travel and golf.

Since the beginning of the year, I have implemented three new smart choices in my life and I’d like to share them with you. My goal was to lose weight, feel more focused and calm today…and then ensure a more vibrant lifestyle later in my life with Mark.

Here is what I did:

• I joined a yoga class and am attending classes about three times a week. I notice that I feel much calmer, more focused and feel lighter on my feet.
• I have eliminated almost all processed food in my diet and actually spent 30 days on a special diet plan that changed my life.
• I have created a bedtime ritual (inspired by Smart Women Contributing Expert, Marci Shimoff’s 10:30 Angel Train) where I journal before bed to clear my mind, listen to music,  and read.  In addition, I have begun to listen to one of Hypnosis Guru, Steve G. Jones mp3s, and it’s been fabulous.  I try to stay away from the TV and computer after 9 pm at night.
• I am drinking lots of filtered water with lemon during the day. Here is the formula for how much water you should drink: weight divided by two and add a zero. TIP: If you weigh 150#, then you want to drink 70 oz of water daily! Many times when we feel hungry, it could just be dehydration.

These are my results.  I have lost 25 pounds, I am sleeping so much better and waking up a lot earlier, and I am much more focused and optimistic during the day.

When we get ready to retire some day, having all the money in the world will mean nothing  if we don’t have our health, right? By taking making some simple changes, I find I am more affective at work, and happier and more active at home with my family at night. Plus the yoga class is amazing…my goal is to go five times week.

What steps are you taking today to live happy, wealthy and healthy? I’d like to know! Leave your comments below!

Katana Abbott, CFP, CSA
Founder and Prosperity Coach
www.howtocreateprosperity.com

Vicky and I just finished an interview with author, Michael Linenberger, on Smart Women Talk Radio and I have to share this fabulous tip with you on time management and managing your To-Do List!

I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want is a two page “To-Do List” on my desk looking at me square in the face each morning when I arrive ready to start my day.

In fact, Linenberger states that research shows that individuals with long To-Do Lists experience symptoms similar to ADD and tend to lose focus, become less affective and lose discrimination as to what is even important anymore.

I believe that an unmanaged To-Do list can knock our confidence creating that, “I am a loser” syndrome, simply because we are in a state of overwhelm.

In Linenberg’s bestselling book, Master Your Workday Now! Linenberg has created a fabulous Workday Mastery To-Do List designed to help you:

• Gain Control
• Get Creative
• Connect your workday to your life purpose

I love this! He states that Workday Mastery will help give you the feeling and knowledge that your life and business are flowing more effortlessly, your goals are clear and objective, and your career is developing just the way you want it to (in line with your values).

In his book, Linenberger goes into detail on how to manage tasks with his “Now Task List”.Many of you may already be familiar with my Perfect Life Time System made up of Perfect Days, Prep Days and Power Days which is based on how to schedule and focus each day to stay rejuvenated by leveraging your time, energy and money.The Now Task List is how to manage your To-Do List, so they are a perfect marriage!

ACTION:

Linenberger suggests creating ONE LIST and break it up into three categories:

• Critical Now nly 5 items (must do today) and states that you look at this list hourly
• Opportunity Now: only 20 items (due in next 10 days) and look at this list daily
• Over the Horizon:everything else (due over 10 days) and update this list weekly

I use a 90 Day Project Worksheet listing all my projects and their tasks by category.Next I take those tasks and move them to Linenberger’s Now Task List.It’s perfect! Doesn’t just reading about this take your stomach ache away?!!

You can manage this list on paper, on a Microsoft Word Document or even with your Outlook Task System.You can learn more about all of this by listening to our interview with Linenberger, or visiting his website where he has created some videos on how to implement this system.

Feel free to watch my videos on implementing the Perfect Life Time System and then consider using Linenberger’s Now Task System to manage your To-Do List.I and my team have been using this combined system for the last year and it’s been wonderful.

I’d love to hear from you.What is your biggest challenge in managing your time and energy?How do you like these tips?

With gratitude,

Katana Abbott, CFP, CSA
Awakened Prosperity
Your Dreams * Your Life * Your Legacy
www.katanaabbott.com

Click here to book a complimentary 30 minute business strategy session now!

Today is the last of my 3 part series on Creating Your Perfect Life with my Perfect Life Time System. In the last two videos I shared with you the three types of days in this system:

• Increase your productivity and earning potential on your Power Days.
• Improve your level of energy, focus and clarity by cleaning up messes and getting very organized on your Prep Days.
• Make more time for yourself, your friends and your family by scheduling and enjoying wonderful Perfect Days!

Power Days are your money days. But let’s take a moment to review…

• In my prior videos I asked you to begin to plan your Perfect Calendar for the entire year. By now, you should have already booked all your Perfect Days into your calendar. Be sure you have booked all your vacations, time with family and friends, dates with significant other and time just for you to rest. If you have not done this – do it now – for the full year!
• Next, be sure you have blocked out all your Prep Days for the full year. These are the days you will use to get organized so you can have fabulous Perfect Days and Power Days.  Great Job!

Exercise 1:

Bring out a piece of paper and create a Big “T” and on the left side, write all the things that:

• bring you joy and that you are passionate at
• are effortless especially if they also generate revenue for you
• you would do for free if money were not an issue
• you lose track of time when you do them
• you are the best in your field and bring you confidence

On the right side write out all the things that:

• drain your energy and deplete your confidence
• put you into resistance or cause you to procrastinate
• don’t generate revenue or should be done by someone other than yourself
• you are tolerating no longer!

Now look at this list and decide how can you focus 80% of your time and energy on the items on the left, while eliminating, outsourcing or even partnering with someone with those items on the right.

Your goal is to leverage the 80/20 Rule by spending 80% of your time on the things you love, are great at and bring you the most joy…and 20% of your time on those items on the right side. Use your Prep Days for the right side of “T” and watch what begins to happen with your energy and your income.

Identifying your unique talents, passions, abilities and then learning to leverage them and delegate/outsource everything else is an art…something that is crucial for you to learn and implement as soon as possible.

Exercise 2: Add your Power Days to your year long Perfect Life Calendar

• Have you already booked all your Perfect Days and Power Days for the full year? This is one of the most powerful things you can do to start out your years with a bang. By scheduleing your Perfect Days first, you will stay rejuvenated (all your dates with special people including your self care and vacations), then your Prep Days to clean up messes and get organized for wonderful Perfect Days and Power Days.
• Do the Math: Now what you have left is your Power Days. Divide these number of days by what you plan on earning this year and you will see just how much your time is worth per day. Divide that by your billable hours, and you will see what you are worth hourly.
• Now ask yourself if you still want to be doing $10 adn $15/hour work?  No! 

ASSESSMENTS:

There are two assessment that I recommend and use with my clients and staff. They each have a fee associated with them and are well worth the investment.

• If you invest in either one of these assessments and then send me your results at katana@katanaabbott.com, I will invest 30 minutes of my time into a Complimentary Strategy Coaching Session with you – a $150 value. Neither of these are personality profiles.  They are unique and that’s why I use them. Check them out and see which is best for you:

Kolbe A- This is such a powerful assessment because it will help you identify what you will and will not do period. Once you see this begin to follow the path of least resistance while building your confidence you will begin to see results so much quicker. This assessment will help you find out where to focus and where to delegate/outsource. Great for team building…do it on your entire team. There is also a great video tutorial to take you through your results:

• Take the Kolbe Index

Wealth Dynamics – There are 8 primary ways we make money and this assessment show us the exact strategy we need to follow to build wealth. Successful entrepreneurs know where to focus their energy, time and money to build wealth, learn how this process works and find out your wealth profile:

www.yourwealthstyle.com

I hope these three tools help you create your perfect life so you can live with more purpose, passion AND prosperity. My mission is helping people make a difference in the world through their dreams, their work and their legacies!

With joy and gratitude,

Katana Abbott, CFP, CSA
Founder and Midlife Millionaire Mentor
katana@katanaabbott.com
248-366-0137

P.S. You can access Step 1 (Perfect Days) and Step 2 (Prep Days) here!

This article is part 2 of 3. The Perfect Life Calendar is designed to help you:

• Increase your productivity and earning potential on your Power Days.
• Improve your level of energy, focus and clarity by cleaning up messes and getting very organized on your Prep Days.
• Make more time for yourself, your friends and your family by scheduling and enjoying wonderful Perfect Days!

Understanding these three different types of days and focusing time for each type of day in your calendar, is a critical step, since your calendar will provide you a system to manage your time, focus and energies. Without this structure, you will find yourself overwhelmed and disorganized a sure path to failure.

In myfirst article, I suggested that you start by scheduling all your Perfect Days in advance. If you have not read last week’s article, you may want to click here first before continuing.

Your Prep Day: Your Prep Days are your days to organize, clean up messes, and clear out other obstacles to be prepared for your Power Days and Perfect Days. We will discuss the Power Day in next week’s article

In his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, Stephen Covey created a graph with four quadrants:

1. Important and Urgent
2. Important and Not Urgent
3. Unimportant and Urgent
4. Unimportant and Not Urgent

Step 1:

Take a moment right now, to write down all the tasks that you have hanging over your head. Make a list of everything in your life that you have been tolerating that is draining your energy, time and money.

• Where do most of them land on this list?  First of all, anything that is on Quadrants 3 and 4 you want to imply cross out as a time waster.  The items on Quadrant 1 need to be taken care of immediately since they are urgent. The items on Quadrant 2 are your opportunity.

Step 2: 

Prioritize these items by listing them under 90 days, 30 days, 7 days or urgent. 

• What items could be eliminated, delegated or outsourced? 
• The more you can free up your time to focus on the things you do best, that generate revenue and increase your energy the better. 
• Do you have an assistant who can handle administrative tasks? 

Step 3: 

Schedule your Prep Days now.

• You should already have your Perfect Days in your calendar.  Remember, your goal was to schedule these first. 
• Now it’s time to schedule the days where you will be planning, organizing and preparing for great Power Days. In the beginning, you will have more Prep Days, and as you get better at delegating, you will begin to have more and more Perfect Days for vacations, family and yourself…and more days to focus on your unique abilities and talents.

Tip:

Segmenting your days into Prep, Power and Perfect is much more efficient than doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that each day. This is what my typical week looks like:

• Prep Days:  Monday and Friday are my days for organizing, bookkeeping, follow up and preparing for fabulous Power and Perfect Days!
• Power Days:  Tuesday (marketing day), Wednesday (writing day) and Thursday (coaching day)
• Perfect Days:  Saturday and Sunday are my time to rejuvenate, play and spend time with my family.

Take some time now to look at your calendar and think about how your Perfect Week would look.  In my next article, I will talk to you about Power Days which are your money days — when you are focused on your unique abilities and talents!

This is a great time to also pull out your new 2011 calendar and begin to block out all your Perfect Days (remember you do these first) and then your Prep Days.  This will leave you with your Power Days…and I will let you in on a big secret that may surprise you in my next article!

Happy New Year!

Katana Abbott, CFP, CSA
Founder and CEO
Midlife Millionaire Mentor