Making Time

Making Time

Category:KB Consulting Solutions

Often in workshops I will ask, “Who will commit to make time to prospect?”  Without exception and hesitation ALL hands flail into the air.  How about you?  Will you commit to make time?

Well here’s the reality, no matter how anxious, willing, sincere and dedicated you are…you will not.

You cannot “make time”.  It is simply impossible.  Our Creator gave us the gift of 24 hours in each day and no one (to my knowledge) has the power or authority to “make” more.  So, stop it!  Stop setting yourself up to fail under the illusion that you will “make time” to complete the tasks and fulfill the dreams that you have.

The acceptance of this was a true life changing experience for me.  When I acknowledged, and accepted that I was powerless to make time, yet was total the BOSS of managing my time, not only did life and the game change, more significantly, the results changed.

Let’s look at the 7 Steps to Manage Your Day

1)  Find YOUR best resource for time management:

Whatever is best for you, adopt, embrace, implement.  Ranging from latest technology to the sun dial, there is no wrong resource.  If you understand, embrace and utilize and maximize the tool…it is okay. Own it.

2)  Beware of Technology:

Although many have adopted and consistently evolve to master technology based tools for time management…many have not. I once fell under the pressure of “need to get out of a paper-based day timer and into the 21^st century” for tools and failed horrifically!  What I found myself dissolving to was the “15 minute” alert kinda day in which I would cruise from task to task based on what the alert told me to do.  What a train wreck!

Soon realizing that I need the view from 32K feet each day vs. ground zero, I migrated back to an amazing paper resource that allows me to map out my time “at a glance” (quarter by quarter, month by month, week by week, day by day and yes…hour by hour!)

Do I still have an alert 15 minutes before each activity?  YES!  However, I’m efficient, effective and prepared. Often, I celebrate, because the task may have been completed in advance because I can work proactively rather than reactively by working forward!

3)  Discern what is non-negotiable:

1. Define what your big WHY is and move daily to achieve your goals
2. Discern what is non-negotiable to make things happen
3. Determine what will be sacrificed if you give in and give up

4)  Live in YOUR Calendar:

1. Put all activities, personal AND professional into your calendar
2. Honor all activities scheduled that are non-negotiables
3. Time block and stay in calendar with a long-range perspective and snapshot which allows you to work proactively vs. reactively

5)  Dollarize each activity scheduled:

We find it important to know the value of each activity that is planned.  Keep it simple!   Here’s the formula…

1. Define either the value of each commission closed (if you are an agent in production) or the total revenue on each agent hired (if you are in an ownership/leadership role) and add that into your time block when your activity is listed.  Example: “Lead gen = $4500” …because that is the potential ROI on the time you budget…
2. Include all personal activities: (family, friends, social)
   As an example, when you time block those items we recommend you not the following:
   Date Night with Spouse: Priceless
3. By the way…personal activities as referenced above should be non-negotiable!

6)  Discern who/what suffers when you deviate from your schedule:

This is simply of review of your big “WHY?” …at all times, you need to practice and exercise a check and balance of what is working and what is not and adjust.  Celebrate what is working and modify what is not working.  The biggest step in this element is to discern…who/what suffers when you negotiate your non-negotiable.

1. Spiritual
2. Family
3. Professional
4. Social

7)  Learn, Leverage and Lead!

If after consuming these first 6 steps you say, “But wait, I work better under pressure”; or “I don’t’ work perform well with a schedule.” I respectfully call bulls*_%!

Our experience shows that IF you say “THAT”, you also say “THIS”, “I’m so overwhelmed!” Well folks, overwhelmed is simply a direct result of being under-prepared.

So, STOP it! Get on board, get in your calendar and work it like the Boss that you are!

Ditch the myth of “making time” and embrace the concept of “managing time”…Trust me it is a life-changing action!

Be a resource, not a sales pitch!!!