Our Coach insisted that we read Chet Holmes’ bestseller, The Ultimate Sales Machine and we’re glad he did. Early in the book, Holmes outlines a time management program that not only do we have time for, but we are actually implementing in our business. The simple program has six steps:
- Touch it Once – If you take the time to look at an email, deal with it then, don’t waste your time by forcing yourself to re-read it later. If you spend 15 minutes a day revisiting, readdressing or rereading documents, you have wasted 97 hours per year.
- Make Lists – Keeping and maintaining lists enable you to stop being reactive and be proactive. List the top five things you need to do each day and get them done.
- Budget your Time – How long will each of the top five items take to accomplish. If one or more of the items on the list cannot be done in a day– determine how much time you will devote to the task that day.
- Plan the Day - Take your default calendar (general guide to the day) and be specific and plan the next day. Time must be specifically allotted to your top five items on your list using your budget.
- Prioritize – Look at your top five list and prioritize. When you plan your day, allocate the time to the most important items first. Don’t focus on “the low hanging fruit.” Get to the good stuff.
- Throw it Away – Studies show that 80% of all filed or stored information is never referred to again – get rid of it
The bottom line—focus on those things that are essential to your business and get them done. Time Management is a common problem faced by the owners of small and mid-sized business. At AdviCoach we are equipped to help you establish, implement and remain committed to a time management program that will enable you to achieve your income, lifestyle, wealth and equity goals.
