Entrepreneurs Get More Done by Creating a Daily Action Plan
The days I’m most efficient are the days I plan my day before I sit down at my computer.
Here’s a story of two twins – Silly and Sally.
- Silly’s Day: Silly gets up, grabs a cup of coffee and sits down at her desk. She thinks “Hmm… I wonder what I should work on today?” and then wanders off to check email and Twitter while she continues to decide what to work on. Several hours later, it’s time for her to get off the computer and she thinks “I didn’t get anything productive done! There’s never enough time in the day. I just don’t understand. I was busy all day!”
- Sally’s Day: Sally gets up, grabs a cup of coffee and sits down at her desk. She picks up her action list of 6 items that she wants to get done for the day, and determines which one to tackle first. She then spends some focused time and finishes 5 of the items on her list. After that she decides that she’s almost out of time for the day, so she quickly checks email and Twitter. Then, she makes her list for the next day, making sure to transfer the item that didn’t get done to the new list.
Which one of those days looks more productive to you? It doesn’t take an efficiency expert to see that Sally is much more productive and gets more done (and probably makes a heck of a lot more money than Silly does.)
It’s very easy as women to think we’re being productive when in fact we’re just doing busy things.
Some ideas on how to be more like Sally:
- Do it at Night. A tip that I learned a while ago is that a good day starts with a good night. At the end of the day, get clear on which tasks will move your closer to your goal, and start those first thing in the morning. (Watch this short video to get some ideas for how to choose the project that’ll make a difference for you in your business.)
- Keep it Simple. Keep it Short. Focus on the key tasks that will really make a difference in your business. If your goal is to make money then only focus on tasks that will support your revenue-generating efforts. Do NOT list everything that you need to do on that list or you’ll get overwhelmed. My friend swears by index cards, she notes her top 6 items of the day. It’s simple and it works. I have been experimenting lately with Teux Deux as an online tool to keep my list.
- Finding your Way Back. A daily action list also serves a busy entrepreneur in one other way. When you get interrupted (and undoubtedly it will happen), you can very easily find your way back to productivity with one glance. Which of the six things were you working on?
When I don’t have the clarity for my day, I’m often unproductive, doing a lot of nothing and that leads to all sorts of bad feelings. The challenge I put out there to you is to choose a system for yourself, either index cards or Teux Deux, and for the next week before you call it “quitting time” make your list of 6 items to do the next day. Start your day with that list. See how much more work you get done and how much more productive you feel.
I’d love to hear about your results. Remember that small shifts in your actions can have a big impact on your results.
Tags: create a daily action plan, create a to-do list, productive day, teuxdeux.com
