Do you ever catch yourself thinking, “what the hell have I done today, this week, this month, this year…?”
I know I used to… a little too often and it began to drive me crazy. My self talk would go into overdrive – I’m an intelligent woman, I know what needs to be done, I know how to do it, so why wasn’t I doing it? Why wasn't I getting more done?
The problem…
And then the penny dropped – I didn’t have a written plan, it was all in my head.
I knew where I wanted to end up, but I hadn’t mapped out the route. So I’d often find myself daydreaming, procrastinating, going off track, taking detours and shortcuts, working on the wrong stuff and stopping off for hours in places like Facebook’s news feed – it’s like that friend you always end up spending longer with than you’d planned. You had lots of fun while you were there but end up missing out on something else, something important.
Needless to say, this approach wasn’t serving me all that well. I needed something to keep me on track, I needed a plan and I needed some sort of structure for my week.
How to fix it…
So lean in, because I’m about to share with you how I turned my week around and increased my productivity tenfold.
I started by writing my plan out on a whiteboard and then I added one strategy to my week.
Implementing this one simple strategy is what has made a massive difference to my output and productivity.
The strategy…
First thing on a Monday morning sit down and ask yourself,
“What 3 things do I need to do this week to move me closer to my business goals?”
Step 1 – Write Your List of 3
I write these 3 things on a Post-It Note in order of importance, and stick it on my desk, right under my nose so I see it every time I sit down. It’s a constant reminder of what I want to achieve for the week. Some of our clients have started creating their list on their computer and save it as their screensaver – you can’t get more in your face than that!
Step 2 – Get It Done
Then every morning I check my list and work towards getting the 3 things done. If it’s a big task I will break it down into smaller tasks. I’m at my best in the morning so I set time aside first thing every day to work towards completing my 3 – yes, before I get lost in the Facebook Newsfeed, before I check my e-mails and get pulled into other peoples demands – I do it as soon as I sit at my desk, and yes it takes discipline to begin with (as does any new habit you're creating) but the benefits are worth it.
This is how you make it work
These 3 things are on your list because you know they need to be done to move your business forward – so make them a priority. Block out time in your diary specifically for these tasks, trust me if you don’t they won’t get done.
Work on them every day.
Put blinkers on and focus on your 3 tasks.
Avoid any distractions.
Don’t let less important things take precedence.
Learn to say ‘no’.
I digress, the power of 2 letters – NO!
Let me digress briefly, because this was a huge a-ha for me and may help you too. No is such a powerful word, not because of the word itself, but because of the fact that every time you say ‘no’ to someone or something else, you are in fact saying ‘yes’ to yourself. Think about that for a second, saying no to others is saying yes to yourself.
Step 3 – Check In
Now, back to the strategy…
On a Friday afternoon I physically check off the 3 tasks. This shows me what I’ve achieved for the week and is a positive re-enforcement to keep me moving forward.
Of course there are weeks when I don’t complete everything, so I make a point of analysing why. This is a really crucial step, analysing why you don’t complete. There could be a million reasons it didn’t get done.
Perhaps you don’t have the necessary skills or perhaps you just hate doing it so you keep putting it off or perhaps the task was just too big for 1 week. Perhaps it wasn’t quite as important as you thought, or perhaps you need to work on your time management. Whatever the reason, once you know, you can deal with it.
To add another layer of accountability you might consider a buddy, someone you share you list with each Monday and your results with on a Friday. That way you’re 100% committed, would you want to admit to someone else you didn’t achieve what you said you would? It’s one thing making excuses to yourself, it’s a completely different story having to tell someone else.
Give it a go
If you are struggling with productivity and momentum, or know you get distracted give this a go. Make your list of 3 on a Monday (I use Monday because that works for me, you might prefer to begin your week on a different day – this strategy isn’t written in stone, it’s there to help you, not bind you). Honestly, you’ve got nothing to lose and so much to gain.
This strategy isn’t 100% foolproof and there will be weeks that turn into absolute train wreaks, everyone has them. The secret is to keep going. Don't let one bad week completely derail you, after all you wouldn't throw out a whole box of apples just because one was rotten, would you?
Momentum is what matters, because momentum means you are moving.
And just so you know, I still go off on the odd detour and I still spend more time than I probably should on Facebook but hey I’m there for work as well as pleasure because Facebook is our #1 traffic source so I believe it’s time well spent – I could even attempt to justify it's research!
