Process Your Progress
May 16, 2023From the Desk of Klark Brown (no AI was used in the creation of this writing)
I want to take you behind the scenes in my world.
If you are like me I end up blaming the lack of time for almost everything.
“I can’t”, “I didn’t”, or the worst “ I won’t”. These are negative affirmations and believe me, your brain will believe them.
I recently started a new system to help me realize that it's not true that I don’t have time…but I am not making the best use of our time.
That is a HUGE subject you have likely read about and heard a million times. The fact that if you are still stuck, then the information didn’t work.
The brain is the Conan the Barbarian of your body. The strength it possesses is overwhelming. But as bright as it is…it is not hard to FOOL.
So I want to share how I have used the technology in everyone's pocket to start building new habits around making sure I am aware of what's important and helps me do my best work.
Your Smartphone has the tools to help you be more intentional about your time, energy, and accomplishment.
My workflow may drastically differ from yours, but let me break it down in hopes it inspires your own process.
ALARMS
Set specific alarms for daily periodic phases of your day.
- Start by opening the CLOCK>ALARM>+ for a new alarm.
Note: you do not necessarily need to delete your other alarms, but this may be an opportunity to clean them up. I had over a dozen alarms, some only 10 minutes apart
-
Next
- Set the alarm time
- Adjust the days of the week (all days, some days, weekdays)
- Use Label space to RENAME the alarm
- I suggest removing SNOOZE as this is delaying the intention.
- Save the Alarm.
- Repeat for all the alarms you intend to set.
EXAMPLES- MY WORKFLOW
AWAKEN THE BEAST
The BEAST is the monster inside of me. The tireless and hungry monster that is capable of anything and everything.
After a night of renewal (sleep), it is time to come alive and approach what I set out to do.
My Activities (yours may vary):
- Stretch
- Breathing Exercise
- Think about what I have to be grateful for
- Cold water to the face
- Make my side of the bed
- Mentally prepared for my next few hours.
- Write/ Create/ Journal
- Coffee
Most often, I am the only one awake at this time besides Sadie, our Bernese Mountain Dog. Even she isn’t always ready to tackle the day.
Do what gets you going and set your GPS.
CONFIRM MY TRIO (Top Three Priorities)
I have 3 MAIN and required priorities that I have made a promise to myself, clients, or my team that I would put before everything else. I may have 8-12 TO’DO’s, but these 3 are non-negotiable. They must not be on tomorrow's list unless it's an ongoing project or task.
I am 100% responsible for any distractions of lesser importance and consequence.
These may include:
- Complete a course (outline to film/ edit)
- Create a framework for restorers to better run a beautiful business.
- Review client's deliverables (P&Ls, reviews, etc)
- Meet with teams inside my company
- Meet 4 new people (if at a conference)
- Learn a million-dollar idea (if in a class)
These are so interchangeable and diverse, but I think you see the point.
Note: these are physically written in a notebook I love with a pen that I love to write with. These specifics allow me to draw pleasure from the chore so I end up enjoying it and never skip it.
INTENTIONAL GRATITUDE
Gratitude is the absolute core of everything I hold dear and stand for.
While I generally have zero issues finding time to show gratitude, this reminder is simply to make sure I do not skip it.
Often times when I get this alert, I simply do a scan of my day so far and see if I have already showcased gratitude. If I have not, I write down someone that I have not told thank you to lately. Letting someone know I appreciate their leaning into my life in some way.
This might happen via a call, a post online, text, or email.
I find personally that you cannot be spiteful or claim to be a victim when you are filled with gratitude.
WHAT'S NEXT
While this is seldom the end of my day, I start to look towards tomorrow (and beyond) as it pertains to what was completed today.
This is how I do it: (adjust to suit your needs)
- Review my TRIO.
- Did I put in adequate effort to complete them?
- Review today's TO-DO list.
- Ask can any of them be done now quickly or in the rest of my time before my closeout
- Move anything to tomorrow's list. I mark them with a small 2 next to them so I can identify that it has been pushed once. This should trigger that it should be done the next day or maybe not at all.
- Review today’s calls, notes, and new To-Do’s
- Place them intentionally on my list, prioritizing.
- With the Eisenhower Matrix in mind, where do my tasks fit?
- Learn more about this in this blog from Restoration Advisers Micromangement stunts your growth
- What do I need to do that will have the highest ROI for the remainder of my day.
SUPER DAD
This one is obvious. As close as I can, this is my time to get home and switch work off and be a dad, and put my intensity towards the family.
When I am on the road/ traveling this will be contact with a Facetime, text, call, or any other meaningful way.
It might also be a different time based on what timezone I am in.
This is important to me as I get so focused on the business, that I forget that the family cares very little about the projects I am working on, the amount of money we make, how many companies I own, etc. I am reminded that they only care about love and support.
So that's what they get.
This has been a powerful tool for me to redivert my energy.
HUBBY OF THE YEAR
I won’t go into this too deeply because that's private and none of your damn business. But I will admit that I am not the easiest person to live with.
In a relationship, your partner is not likely to be like you or speak the same LOVE LANGUAGE.
They say marriages and relationships take a lifetime. This is the one day at a time when we make sure that a lifetime is what we have.
CONCLUSION
In this blog, I have shared only my process for my progress.
Business and life. They are so closely intertwined, that they must be handled in a uniform way.
You may find a completely different process works and we would love to hear what that is.
Find your system and make sure to use tools and resources to hold you to it.
“How you do anything is how you do everything”
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