MaryEllen Tribby: Lose the Lottery Mentality

I think we can all agree, winning the lottery would be nice.

But let me ask you a question. How much time do you spend thinking and wishing about winning? And how much time do you spend thinking how you would spend your lottery winnings?

Sitting around thinking and wishing for these things to happen is not a good use of your time.

Just like sitting around wishing for your business to soar is not a good use of your time. And frankly doing so will never make you wealthy.

Why do I mention that these are not a “good use of your time”?

Because it is our time that is by far our most valuable commodity. If we squander it, we will never get more back.

When clients ask me how I get so much done in a single day, my answer is always the same. I tell them that I respect my time. At times to the point of ridicule by others.

Yes, some people think I am too structured. But to that I laugh all the way to the bank.

Because the paradoxical truth of the matter is . . .

The more structured you are with your time, the more free time you have.

So today I am going to share my three-part philosophy to creating a valuable day.

Part I.

You must understand the difference between being busy and being productive. Too many people are busy but at the end of the day, they have done NOTHING to more themselves forward to meet their business and life goals.

When you are productive, you are getting the important tasks accomplished that will ultimately help you reach your goals.

For example, you can be busy all morning on Facebook, liking inane pictures of your friend’s fancy new boat. But what has that done for you? Or you can be productive all morning by writing copy for a new product or outlining your new book. I choose the latter.

Part II.

You must understand the difference between being efficient and being effective. This one is a little more difficult to fully grasp right from the start because being efficient is a good thing – right?

Not necessarily . . .

You can be very efficient at business planning. Meaning that your business plan has all the correct elements. You have included an overview of the business, financials and a marketing plan. It is well written and easy to understand.

However, that plan may include marketing tactics that no longer work or software strategies that are outdated. The plan simply does not work in today’s competitive landscape.

Consequently it is not an effective plan- because the plan will not be helpful to the company.

As a CEO, Entrepreneur, and or Business Owner, everything that you spend your time on must be effective for the organization. All of the tasks you spend time on must move the organization into a successful motion.

Part III.

Finally you must understand the difference between doing something and doing something correctly.

How many times have your heard your colleagues, team members, vendors or even your partners say something like “Oh, that just doesn’t work for us.”

They could be talking about something so incredibly successful as a video sales letter (VSL). Yet they are still saying it doesn’t work for them.

That is because (unfortunately) there is a BIG difference in doing something and doing something correctly!

Of course VSL’s work – but only when you do them correctly.

You cannot blame a channel for you or your company not putting the appropriate amount of time into learning and executing a project correctly.

Once you get the above philosophy ingrained in “brain central”, the difference will amaze you.

Now let’s talk about five simple things that you can do starting today to give you more of that precious commodity – TIME:

1. Never hold or attend a meeting before noon: That’s right, do your most critical tasks in the morning, while your mind is at its sharpest. That could be writing content or promotional material. It may be business planning or reviewing financials and marketing reports. These are all items that you need a sharp and clear mind to really embrace.
2. Stack your meetings: Never hold a meeting at 1:00 that last for 45 minutes and then schedule your next meeting at 2:15. You end up wasting 30 minutes. Instead schedule the 1st meeting at 1:05. Always include an end time for meetings. So that 1:05 meeting will end at 1:50. Now schedule your next meeting (or call) for 1:55. Do you see how much more productive and effective this is?
3. Never hold or attend a meeting without an agenda. If you do not have an agenda, you have no business having a meeting.
4. Have one calendar: Do not keep a separate calendar for your business and your personal items. Put them all in one calendar. Even if you enter into your calendar your doctor’s appointments and attending your kid’s school events. You can only be in one place at a time, so keep all your activities in one spot.
5. Take a mid-day exercise break. Whenever you can, exercise in the middle of the day. Even if it is a simple walk around the block. The fresh air and the movement will rejuvenate you for the remainder of the day.

If you combine my three-part philosophy with my five easy-to-implement steps, you will see a real difference in your day immediately.

And when this becomes a daily habit, the increase in profits will follow!