It is amazing to me how fast time goes by. I just returned from a business coaching program I have attended for the past 12 years that requires me to get out of my office one day per quarter. During my coaching day I meet with like-minded entrepreneurs who focus on their future success with one of the world's most noted coaches, Dan Sullivan. It does not take long before we are quickly invigorated and our minds are being reshaped and refocused.
What amazes me each time I attend is how quickly the prior three months had gone by. What also amazes me is how much I accomplished in the previous quarter. (In preparation for each program you analyze the last quarter and identify the progress you've made.) Interestingly, most of the entrepreneurs I attend with agree that we really don't look much at our notes during the quarter but, nonetheless, the goals that we set three months ago have all been achieved. And we figured out why: The key to working on your business is that it must be integrated into your work life.
I go to these quarterly one-day events to refocus myself and my business. The events are refined in a monthly planning meeting that I do each week.
Each Friday morning I begin the first hour and a half of my day planning (proactively) all of the projects, past, and to-do's in my world. The to-do's are simple things that are 30 minutes or less that require me to involve other people to move forward. The past are things that require me for more than 30 minutes, but are a single-focused event, such as building a presentation or preparing information for tax returns. Finally, my planning focuses on my "projects." Projects are the bigger things, like building a website or creating a marketing plan to show value to industry X. Projects take a series of tasks and to-do's to accomplish. Each Friday as I utilize these tools (essential to any successful entrepreneur) I outline my project to-do's from a future perspective, which is what I need to be doing to progress toward my goal. The heart of this weekly planning in my quarterly one-day retreat where I set my goals and objectives at a very high level and a path moving forward. My weekly meeting on the first Friday of each month I focus on the monthly goals (just one extra tool I utilize in that individual planning session) and then also use the weekly planning focuser and the daily planning focuser.
I've always said running a marathon is about 46,000 strides and you can't get there unless you take every stride and you can't take shortcuts. It's simply doing one thing consistently over and over that wins the race. The same is true with your future; it's all based on taking the time to plot your course, and then planning it on a regular basis. Hey, time's going by anyway during the last three months (and the next three). The only difference is whether you're doing it by default (reactive) or by design (proactive). So when are you working on your business?
David J. Zumpano, Esq, CPA, Co-founder Lawyers With Purpose, Founder and Senior Partner of Estate Planning Law Center.
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