Over the past week, we’ve been talking about time mastery. How to go from being a slave to time to getting more done in less time.
The thought is liberating.
And based on the emails I’ve received, this discussion has hit home. (More on those emails in a second.)
When it comes to time mastery, the villain is the lack of what I call “daily success habits.” Things you should do everyday, simple things, that ensure you accomplish your most important goals.
Daily success habits keep you in the zone.
They don’t take time because they literally put hours back in your days. Done right, you easily end up with 5 to 10 hours back in your week.
Yeah, 5 to 10 hours back in your week.
If you think about it…that’s like giving yourself an extra day each week to get stuff done. Or to have some fun.
Would you like to have an extra, no stress day (or more) each week?
It’s not that hard.
Most of us instinctively understand these daily success habits..they are NOT radical new ideas.
But we just don’t do them.
Or we don’t have a system for putting them into action.
That’s what I heard from some of your responses to my last couple emails. You said…
Speaking of those mistakes, you just need to avoid them. In case you missed them, here’s a quick recap…
Mistake #1 – More means more
Doing more does not mean you’ll get more done or accomplish more of your goals more quickly. It’s really a distraction.
It keeps you from doing the stuff that matters most.
What can you eliminate from your to-do list?
Mistake #2 – No one can do it better than me
Sometimes we get so busy, you don’t stop to hand tasks off to those who should be doing them and will do them better than you.
How can you do a better job of delegating?
Are there things you could automate?
Mistake #3 – Do it NOW
You cannot make everything a priority. You have to have a system for putting first things first.
But the “do it now” mentality” keeps you in a reactionary mode. Other people and other things have control over YOUR time.
How can you establish clear daily priorities?
Remember the story I told you about myself the other day? How my successful business felt like it was collapsing around me.
I was…Overwhelmed. Burned-out. Exhausted.
Implementing daily success habits bailed me out. The results were dramatic. I could feel the impact almost immediately.
One of my clients sent me a message yesterday:
“I made all of those mistakes, Rob, but you have guided me well. I honestly feel so much more in control than I did a few weeks ago.”
The system I developed has helped countless other advisors regain control of their businesses. And their lives.
I want to share it with you know. I call it the “6 Daily Success Habits of World Class Advisors”. If you’ve been reading my posts for a while…I’ve mentioned them before.
Here goes…
1. Plan and prioritize
The most important 15 to 20 minutes of each day is the time you spend planning. I use a 4 step process…
Eliminate. Delegate. Automate. Prioritize.
When you approach your to-do list and your calendar with these three daily imperatives, you put yourself in the driver’s seat.
2. Schedule time for you
We all have a tendency to schedule time for others, but neglect ourselves. You cannot leave things like appointment prep time, research and business development to chance.
Look at your upcoming schedule for items requiring advance prep and block off time to get them done.
Then you’ll avoid last minute cramming.
And that means less stress.
3. Clients come first
The more time you spend in client-facing activities, the more success you will have. These are almost always your highest value activities.
Good will. New business. Referrals. Introductions.
Top performing advisors are spending two-thirds (or more) of their time with clients every day.
4. Plant some seeds
Client-facing activities include time with your prospects…your “future clients.”
But, all too often, prospecting takes a back seat.
It’s one of the first victims of your daily time crunch.
Daily success habits should include client acquisition activities. You need to keep your new business pipeline flowing.
Plant new seeds daily.
5. Don’t let the “dishes” stack up
Each day brings a certain number of “dirty dishes”. Small tasks that are easy to “leave in the sink” for the next morning.
A quick call, an email, a thank you note…
Leave time in your day to polish these tasks off, this will allow you to start each day with a “clean sink.”
6. Evaluate your progress
Finally, at the end of each day, measure your progress by asking yourself a few simple questions…
…Did you stick to your plan and priorities?
…Did you keep your appointments with yourself?
…Were you able to maximize the amount of time you spent with clients?
…Did you plant some seeds?
…Will you be able to start the next day with a clean plate?
The complications of daily life sometimes feel as if they have taken dead aim on your best intentions.
You may not always like your answers to these questions.
But keeping an eye on your daily success habits will turn them into life-altering activities…major achievements will follow.