Focused Time

Do you ever feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to do all the things you need to do? It's a common complaint we all have at one time or another. The solution is a more focused attitude every day. Since I work with business owners, I will use business as an example, but the principle applies to all areas of life. Here's the rub...

Think about the two activities in your business that bring in the money. For example, most businesses need to focus on:

• building trust with prospects that are a "good fit"
• adding value to current clients

In a day where money is tight and there are many choices, these two things are crucial. But how much time do you spend on these activities each day? If someone watched you work today, would they say that's where you spent the bulk of your day?

If you're like most people, you are often bogged down with phone calls, emails, paperwork, and other tasks that although necessary, do not qualify as the essential part of your business. So what's the solution?

Make a plan to focus your time. Look to CEOs for your model. A CEO's time is spent designing a vision of success, planning how to accomplish that vision, then enlisting the help of others in carrying out the plan.

While it may be scary to think of hiring others to work for you, it does make sense. Let's look at an example. After looking at a typical day, you see you are spending 4 hours a day on the two most productive parts of your business. You're bringing in $100 a day. Hiring an assistant for 4 hours a day would allow you to spend 8 hours daily on the money-making parts of business and probably double your earnings. If you pay the assistant $40 a day, and you bring in $200, that's a 60% increase in earnings.

This principle works at home and other places as well. Begin thinking and acting more like a CEO and see immediate results!