Consulting.com Newsletter - Sunday Planning

Subject Line: Mastering the Week Ahead Subject Line: The Power of Sunday Planning Subject Line: Your Big Three Preview Line: Do This For INSANE Focus %FIRSTNAME%, Work is a lot like sleeping. Sounds strange, but stick with me, this will make a lot of sense. With sleep, you want to spend as little time as possible awake in bed… If you’re in bed for 8 hours, but you’re only sleeping for 4 hours, you’re not getting good sleep. The same thing goes for work and actually accomplishing tasks that drive the business forward… If you’re working for 8 hours a day, but you’re only getting 1 hour of REAL work done, you’re not being very productive. It’s usually this scattered approach to our workload that has us constantly reacting to what’s happening rather than proactively tackling our goals… And if you’re wanting to scale your company, it’s not just about [a] The way to fix this is simple, yet most people underestimate its simplicity. I call it: Sunday Planning The name is pretty much a dead giveaway as to what it involves, but it’s the details that actually matter. The reason I choose to plan my weeks on Sundays is because this is the day that has the least amount of noise for myself, and also for a majority of business owners. Work emails are slow, Slack isn’t as active, there are no calls scheduled (usually), and the bustle of the weekday hasn't yet begun. It's the perfect time to set your intentions for the days ahead because you’re unburdened by immediate distractions. Now, what you don’t want to do is block out your calendar with any task that pops up in your head… Instead, I recommend identifying the three biggest levers you need to pull for the week in order to move the business forward… Or, in simpler terms, your three biggest tasks that will increase the revenue for your business. These three tasks being accomplished are indicators of whether or not you’re having a productive week. So how do you identify your big three? It’s pretty simple, all you need to focus on is whether or not they are aligned with your long-term goals… Ask yourself, does achieving these tasks bring you closer to where you want your business to be in 3 months, 6 months, or even a year? If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track. If the answer is no, either delegate or put them to the side and get those low priority tasks banged out ONLY when you’ve already completed your big three. The next step is to break these goals down into actionable tasks. In the past, this is where I used to accidentally shoot myself in the foot. We only have so many working hours in a day… And that needs to be taken into account whenever you’re scheduling out the work week. When you take time to estimate how long each task will take and block out specific time slots for these tasks on your calendar… You’re ensuring that adequate time and resources are allocated to achieve your biggest objectives for the week. As you go about time-blocking your week, you might realize that achieving all your tasks within the week is unrealistic. This realization is invaluable because it allows you to re-strategize. You can then adjust your expectations and re-prioritize, ensuring that the most critical goals aren't lost in the shuffle. Now, this is a key detail most people miss… While Sunday planning sets the tone for the week, it's essential to update your plan at the end of each day. Things change—unexpected tasks pop up, meetings get scheduled, and personal obligations arise… A daily refresh on the plan for the week allows you to stay adaptable without losing sight of your big three. When you plan your weeks like this you get three main benefits: 1. Focus: Your 'Big Three' keeps you centered and aligned with your most critical objectives. 2. Efficiency: Time blocking ensures that your days are organized around achieving your goals, not just busy work. 3. Reduced Stress: Knowing your plan ahead of time eliminates the stress of daily planning and decision fatigue. The key to growing a company is really about having as many “needle-moving” days as you possibly can… If you’re not seeing any growth in your company, chances are, you’re spending your time on the wrong things. If you want to set the stage for a productive and purposeful week ahead… Follow this routine, and you’ll find yourself navigating the week with a clearer and more precise level of focus. Rooting For You, Rian Doris [a]unfinished sentence