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Have you ever had a moment at the end of a long day where you thought, "Wow, I got a lot done today"? Most of us have. It’s a good feeling. Maybe you wouldn’t call it “perfect,” but it represents an ideal 24-hour cycle of your most important actions.
Now imagine the potential of having that “perfect day”—most days. Think about the impact that would have over the course of a year. How much would your production rise? What types of relationships would you have with your clients? How many new experiences would you have had with your family? What type of physical shape would you be in?
It’s impractical to think that every day can be a perfect day. But it’s reasonable to think that we can improve our productivity by modeling this perfect day. Think back once again to a really productive day you’ve had recently. What were some of the hallmarks that could be replicated? Did you plan your day in advance? Did you wake up early and exercise? Did you have a non-business lunch? Did you help your child with their homework?
We all have uniquely different definitions of what a perfect day looks like. Your role on the team and your stage in life play major parts in this. There are, however, some commonalities in how the industry’s most productive people manage their days. The following are a few worth mentioning.
It might seem counterproductive to spend 10-20 minutes of your time planning instead of doing, but a perfect day is like a jigsaw puzzle—the team, client, COI, prospect and family pieces must fit together.
“Meeting request for tomorrow” or “50% off fitness watches at REI”—boom! An email pop-up distraction. Maybe you’re only distracted for a moment, maybe 20 moments. Spend today taking note of pop-ups, walk-ins, text messages and other distractions. Analyzing these distractions is the first step in minimizing them throughout the day.
When you’re engrossed in a task or project, it’s easy to lose track of time. If you have an important time block for calling prospects or planning an intimate event, set a reminder through your calendar so that you remember when it’s time to shift gears.
This is self-awareness at its best. Before you leave the office, look through your calendar and sent emails and think, “What did I accomplish today?”
Having a lengthy to do list is a reality for most of us. Trying to do the entire list at once is a common, but costly mistake. Try engrossing yourself in one task until it’s done or you reach a milestone. Your output will be higher and quality improves as well.
As we’re planning our day, it’s hard to account for the tasks that we don’t yet know are coming. Answering emails, returning phone calls and helping team members should all have a place in your planning. Consider adding two time slots per day for tackling these tasks in full.
It’s hard to change your behavior if your team and family members aren’t on board as well. Make sure they understand any changes you’re making to time blocking, fixed daily commitments, etc. If they know you’re on a marketing time block or that you’re going to come in a little later after knocking out your daily exercise, they’ll be understanding and help you stay on task.
