Monthly Goals, Weekly Planning, and Daily Dials
Posted on February 4, 2009
Filed Under Act Professionally, Focus Efforts, Grow People, Uncategorized
I’m often ask, “How do you get so much done when you’re a one man business?” “What’s the secret to your productivity?” As I think about it I attribute my success to the fact that every year I take the time to think deeply about what I want both personally and professionally. I dedicate time to ponder my “wants” and capture my thoughts in the form of goals. I end up with a prioritized list of results I want to produce and formulate it into a one page plan.
But that’s just the start. Do you want to know the real secret sauce for productivity? Setting goals is the easy part. The hard part is executing them. If you can execute, you can realize the results you want most in your life and business. So, without further delay here’s my three-step system for getting things done.
The One, Two, Three of Getting Things Done
1. Use monthly goals to achieve your annual goals. That’s right, chunk those annual mountains into monthly hills. By plotting out a monthly implementation plan for each annual goal you’ll always see what comes next. And, as long as you know what comes next you’ll know what to do. No anlysis paralysis, no delays. Just take action on what comes next month by month. List each goal and directly next to each create a list of monthly milestones that need to be achieved in order of priority. It’s much less daunting to look at what’s next versus the whole enchilada all at once. You can see yourself walking up a hill more easily than scaling a mountainside in one fell swoop.
2. Weekly planning every day. What? Does that make sense? In my world it sure does. I’m a big believer that you MUST create a strategic weekly plan at the start of each and every week. And then, you must review that weekly plan each and every day. Without such a plan and review you are vulnerable to the whims and wills of others and worst of all to circumstances that you think are beyond your control. But a weekly plan is not just a list of apointments and tasks. To be truly strategic I suggest you add the following components to your plan: 1) Your TOP THREE RESULTS to produce this week; 2)Your TOP 20 PHONE CALLS or connections that will produce revenue or move your business forward this week; 3) Your TOP TEN STRATEGIC PROJECTS for the week; 4) Your WEEKLY ACHIEVEMENT LOG where you list your weekly achievements so you can celebrate them at week’s end. The last component to record on your weekly plan is the next step listed below.
3. Do your dials daily! That’s right, do the things that you know will lead you to success each and every day. Everyone’s dials differ from one another but at the end of the day everyone has a list of 3 to 5 “things” that need to be done on a daily basis in order to fill the pipeline, stay in business, produce revenue or futher the cause. If you pay attention and measure your progress with these dials every day you’ll be doing what it takes to keep your annual plan fueled and flourishing. Just as an airplane pilot focuses on 3 to 5 dials in his cockpit to stay on course, so you must also if you want to land your goals according to plan.
There you have it. The one, two, three of productivity. Now, get busy!
Joel Deceuster (Chapter Trainer for the One Page Business Plan)
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