Step #4: Make some decisions on how you can take off a few hours midday.
You may not be able to grab two hours, and I appreciate that, but I want to encourage you to have some sort of a break and, yes, that includes having something to eat. Coupled with your meal I want to you incorporate some kind of physical activity during that time. As I said above, I don’t care if it just a walk around the block. Get the blood flowing. I want you to have what I call some “separation,” because you are going to need it in order to finish the day strong.
Another thing I want you to do in that hour or two-hour window, is to re-adjust your to-do’s and your daily game plan. Let’s face it, a lot of things could happen in the morning that, all of a sudden, could lead to new tasks you weren’t ready for, so you must be prepared to adjust the same way a coach would at half time during a game.
Having the flexibility to adjust your game plan at half-time is important because you want to make sure that your afternoon is spent doing those things that really serve you well.
Power-Blocking and Flexible Structure
Okay, what we’ve covered up to now is making sure you have a game plan, a list of outcomes, to book-end your days, and have a mid-break in between. Now let’s discuss how to best block out your time for the most efficiency.
There are two versions of power blocking or blocking off time. Two versions make sense because for some people it works and for some people it doesn’t.
The first version involves blocking out huge chunks of time. For example, from 7 to 7:15 a.m. you do one task, and from 7:30 to 8:15 a.m. you do another, blocking your entire day into chunks.
For about 5% of the people I work with, that works very well. They have the innate discipline to pull it off, and they also have the type of office environment that allows them to do so. The average advisor, can block out two or three blocks a day, remaining flexible for the rest of the day, which is probably more realistic.
NOTE: If you have really been trying to time block unsuccessfully for years on end, then maybe you should just stop trying to be insane about it. One definition of insanity is to just keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result; maybe what you need to do is try something different.
Which brings us to what I call “flexible structure.” You have already started the structure where you have assigned a start point and an endpoint to your day and you have a middle book-ending. Also, you have your break in the day.
You’re up to speed with a daily list of outcomes, things that you must accomplish daily in order to meet your goals. This is different from a must-do or to-do list. These are things that you proactively have to do.
For example, you will make client calls. You have to execute that. It is something you have to be proactive about. The same with setting appointments, which is something else you have to be proactive about. So your tasking lists or outcome lists are absolutely crucial for you to drive to completion. You need to focus on outcomes. Look at each day uniquely, as though it’s a puzzle.
More in our next issue!________________________________________________________________________
