I'll admit it. I'm a planner.
I used to be proud of it and was probably the best planner in the office.
But, I gradually came to realize that spending an entire working day planning a project is not a good use of my time. In other words, planning has its place, but make sure you do the important things you must do to implement your plan.
One of the great things about freelancing is the ability to raise your hourly income by being more productive. Planning doesn't directly equal income. Productivity does.
As I focused on productivity, I recognize a lot of planning for what it is: a convenient way to procrastinate. Sure, you feel like you're working, but you're probably just delaying the actual work.
To make sure I'm getting the most important thing on my schedule done every morning, I … eat a frog.
If you haven't heard of this technique, let me assure you, I don't eat an actual frog.
Brian Tracy, author of Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, made this concept popular.
Basically, you do the worst thing on your list first thing. Then the rest of the day is easy.
Here's how to determine what your own frog is and make sure you eat it:
1. Before you end work for the day today, figure out your most important tasks for tomorrow. These should be things that will move you closer to your goals or directly impact your income. My list includes tracking environmental legislation, calling a prospect, and blogging on my website.
2. Now, choose the worst of the most important things – the one you're dreading the most – and circle it. Then put a star next to your favorite item.
3. Eat your frog every day.
I'm scared to death of making phone calls – even "warm" calls – so that's definitely my frog. I'll will schedule an hour in the morning to make local calls, an hour in the afternoon to make mainland calls and an hour in the evening to call people I couldnʻt reach during the day.
That is my frog, and eating a frog is easy to procrastinate. I have to ruthlessly focus on eating that frog. I will make calls starting at 9am. I set my timer for an hour and make nothing interferes with my picking up my phone.
This sets my tone for the day. I can do anything! And I have more energy and passion. If I donʻt make those calls Iʻm disgusted with my self. I donʻt like being a disappointment even to my self. When Iʻve eaten my frog, everything else is easy.
4. Once all my tasks are done for the day, I'll reward myself with my favorite task: getting outside in the garden or taking a walk.
Donʻt forget to reward your self for accomplishing your goals. One of the great things about my business is I can work a couple of hours a day and then do what ever I want. If I choose to do more, Iʻll build my business faster.
Now, this only works focus on your frog and eat that meal when you have planned to do it. Resist the temptation to do small things first. Don't check email. Don't return phone calls. And, don't plan how you're going to eat that frog.
Decide who you have to call the next day before you go to bed. I use a program called todo.ly to organize and prioritize my todo list. When I think of something I need to do, I make a quick note and get back to work. Before I go to bed, I schedule all my notes in todo.ly.
Now, eat your frog when you plan to tackle that meal, but donʻt be a slave to your plan. My family comes first and if they need something I adjust my plan. If itʻs my business, I will drop everything when a client needs help. Just be sure the interruption is more important than eating your frog.
When you look at you accomplishments for the last week, ask yourself, "Did I eat my frogs?" If not, what changes are you going to make next week. Who are you going to say NO to?
If you allow yourself to procrastinate by doing smaller, less essential tasks, your motivation and valuable time will be gone. Then you'll have to tackle that big, scary task with less enthusiasm and energy. If you're like me, that means you'll put it off until tomorrow and feel guilty.
If you have a 9-to-5 job, you might be wondering how you can eat the frog first thing in the morning and still get to work …
You have a few choices. You could get up earlier and eat your frog before work, or you could schedule time each evening to eat your frog.
Personally, I recommend a business you can build from anywhere you have a phone and an internet connection. My income depends on the income of the people who choose to work with me. I train them to do what I do and the more they earn, the more I earn.
It is a simple business model. I share what I do with others and teach them to do what I do. How fast my business grows depends on how many people I talk to. I call one person during my coffee breaks. I eat lunch in 15 minutes and make phone calls for 45 minutes.
I actually like traffic jams. I preprogram my cell phone with 15 people I want to call. Then when Iʻm at a traffic light or traffic is grid locked, I punch the phone number. Of course I use a blue tooth ear phone, and I never punch a phone number when Iʻm driving.
I get up early in the morning to make my mainland calls. Point is you can do what you have to do to build your business. Not having time is just an excuse for failure. Focus on your frog. The more focus, the sooner you will living your dreams.
Bill Sager, 808-258-4019, http://kokuaentrepreneurs.com
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