Spend your time wisely

It is your choice as to how you utilize your time.

I know it sounds simple, but really think about it. You can choose to use your time networking, getting amazing leads, working with clients, and earning money, or you can choose to use your time dealing with emergencies, managing distractions, and being panicked. You might tell yourself that you’re great at multitasking and you get a lot done jumping from task to task, but don’t fool yourself, you’re just being distracted from what really needs to get done.

If you don’t use your discipline to manage your time, you aren't being as productive as you should be. Think about what you need to get done, and think about how you actually spend your time during a typical day.

Do people interrupt you frequently? Do you drop what you’re doing to answer emails, phone calls, and texts? Do you feel like you can’t concentrate on projects that must be finished immediately? All of this is happening because you let it. If you want to calm down and be more productive, you can.

It’s time to take charge of your time.

Structure your days so that you have times mapped out for the different tasks you need to work on. If you’re researching leads, make sure you don’t inadvertently spend that time dealing with people who dropped into your office for a “quick question.” Spend that time researching leads. Turn off your phone, turn off your notifications, and get the job done.

If you’re dealing with real-world interruptions, spread the word about what times you’re available for drop-ins and what times you’re not. Go ahead and block out unavailable times on your calendar. It will help remind you what you’re supposed to be doing, and it will inform anyone you share your calendar with when they can come and see you.

Make distractions part of your schedule.

Plan times to deal with email, and return phone calls. All of the distractions that you can’t cut out of your daily life need to be dealt with, so build them into your schedule. Once you start to get a picture of what you need to deal with, you can assess how to arrange your business more efficiently.

Once you start limiting those frustrating distractions to certain times, you’ll find that you’re protecting the time you need to work on bigger projects, whether that’s prospecting for new leads, working on your marketing, or taking care of your existing clients.

If you use your time to deal with whatever comes up that needs your attention, then you’re choosing to use your time unwisely. If you make a plan and use your time for the important things instead of the “urgent things,” then you’re choosing to use your time successfully.

Handle Uncertainty by Turning Defense into Offense

Are you playing offense even when you are on defense? Is every department, even those set up to protect you and your company, on offense? I want to share strategies to help you dominate your markets and take FULL advantage of an improving economy.

This is a radical shift for most business owners but it’s one that will secure you more business with no more cost.

Your goal should be to set up your business so that every department is playing some sort of offense even when they might be a defensive department such as service, legal, social media or accounting. This is a radical shift for most business owners but it’s one that will secure you more business with no more cost. It becomes impossible, however, to accomplish if you are uncertain and trust me, there is more uncertainty in the world today than anyone realizes.

This year’s Super Bowl was a perfect example of a team dominating by being on offense even when it appeared that they were defending. The Seattle Seahawks dominated from the first moments of the game to such a degree, that one of the great teams and greatest quarterbacks were so overwhelmed that it appeared they lost all their abilities. I don’t believe the Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning played a bad game. I think they were driven into a state of uncertainty.

Look, you and your people are constantly hit with negative news – US Markets off 7%, student loan debt out of control, health care cost, wages are flat, possibility of minimum wage being raised and freak snowstorms shutting down parts of the country. And that doesn’t include what happens at your house. No matter what channel you watch or what paper you read, whether you are conservative or liberal, the common rhetoric is negative and fearful with no solutions offered.

Here are three tips for handling uncertainty and putting you and your company in a position to stay on offense.

1. Become certain about where you want to go. Don’t focus on the other side just focus on your game plan. What is it? Where you are going? Where do you want to go? If you don’t know, they don’t know? What is the path? Don’t get too caught up in how you will accomplish each task, save that or later. Getting stuck in the ‘how’ will actually make you more uncertain. Clarify the desired path and remind your people of it daily. Every morning at my company, we start with a meeting to talk about where we are going and give examples of that future. This demonstrates my company’s commitment to playing offense. During uncertain times, this thinking will help keep you focused on the bigger prize and purpose. You first need to get sold on what your goals and dreams are. Then you need to map out your path and commit to it.

2. Reevaluate your value. What makes you and your company valuable? What makes you more valuable than anyone at any price? If your people don’t know, they will not sell at volumes that are necessary and they will not be able to hold the margins necessary to win in the game of business. Get them clear on value. Once a week we talk about what makes the company more valuable than any other in the market.
“you are either making the sale or being sold not to.”

3. Become the most dependable person you know. Be the ‘go to’ person that others look to in times of crisis. Become a dependable source of solutions for others. I have a goal to be so dependable and so on offense in my business that I become the ‘go to’ guy. Your family, friends, and colleagues must know that you’re the ‘go-to’ person they can count on. To accomplish dependability, you need to get yourself and your people trained. There is no way around this. Greatness does not come without a commitment to training.

Your results depend on the confidence of you, your people and your customer. We have been told too many times, “be careful” “take your time”, “get all the information,” “don’t make a mistake” and on and on. These are just reinforcements to be uncertain and on defense not offense. These beliefs of uncertainty are driven into the culture of society and influence you and your people forcing you to play defense too much.

This will cause you to play under your potential. Are you playing below your potential? Be honest? On a scale from 1-10, ten being full potential, where are you playing at? You know there is more to do. Hit your market so hard that all of your competitors step aside and let’s you run away with the game and declares you champion. Train like a champion and dominate!

This article was written by Grant Cardone... I found it very appropriate.

It’s Time to Get Organized

Today the topic is keeping YOU organized. Your time, your business, your life, your office.

Take a look around. Are you surrounded by a mountain of papers, books, folders, and other things you’re trying to keep track of? Are you always digging through piles of debris to find something you've lost? Do you feel like you’re desperately trying to remember your to-do list in your head because none of your systems are working for you?

If so, it’s time to take charge of that situation. If papers and things to do are slipping through the cracks, you’re holding yourself back. Your clients aren’t going to be impressed if you’re always getting in touch to apologize for missing or late paperwork.

Organize your office

First things first: Get your environment organized. If you’re really struggling with papers, consider getting a scanner and trying for a paperless office. Be careful though. If you just transfer the disorder to your computer instead of taking the opportunity to get it organized, you’re simply transferring the chaos, and not doing yourself any favors.

Organize your tasks

Do you have a great system for keeping track of the things you’re trying to get done? If not, it’s time to figure it out. Some people love low-tech systems like a stack of index cards or a notebook. Some people love high-tech systems – there are to-do apps with scheduling and alerts that sync between your phone, your tablet, and your computers. Check out some different options, but remember that if you’re trying to keep track of all of that in your head, you’re wasting space in your brain and you won’t be working productively.

Organize your calendar

This can, and should, be integrated with your to-do list somehow. This is another case where just trying to remember things will lead you to tears. Google Calendar, calendar apps, paper calendars, smart phone calendars, just find something that works for you and stick to it. Pay attention to your usage. If you find that you’re struggling to remember to use your calendar you might not have the right solution for your needs. Don’t be afraid to keep trying different things until something seems natural for you.

Organize your life

Now that you’re keeping track of your paperwork, your to-do list, and your calendar reliably, you’ll have an easier time examining how you’re doing. You can keep track of where your time is going, where you’re having successes and failures, and what approaches have worked well with different clients. The most important thing is that you can’t rely exclusively on your memory. Keep notes, track your time, record your outcomes in client files, and find what works for YOU. Experiment with these ideas; you’ll going to learn and improve from your mistakes and experiences.