In this book chapter, I include 27 tips to get back on hour a day.
So in no particular order, here's my first 9 tips to help you get back an hour a day.
9 Tips To Get Back An Hour A Day
1. Turn off all bells and whistles on your email program.
2. Set up rules so emails move automatically into organized folders rather than into an overflowing inbox.
3. Develop weekly rituals and stick to them.
4. Turn your phone to silent (or even better, switch it off) for at least an hour a day of uninterrupted time.
5. Have an answering machine or service so you can be 'offline' for at least an hour a day. However, for this to work, you also have to turn down the volume of the answering machine.
This may seem obvious but when I suggested to a client they purchase an answering machine, they told me they had one but it didn't work. 'Is it broken?' I asked. 'No', they replied, 'but what happens is the phone rings and I stop working so I can listen to the message to see if I need to call them straight back.
My look said it all.
6. Eat That Frog!
Brian Tracy developed this concept to overcome procrastination and ensure people focus on what's really important. If you're not familiar with this concept, please watch the
clip and then just do it.
I have a page of cute frogs which I laminate and give to clients and workshop participants, as well as using on my whiteboard. If you would like a copy, please send me an email.
7. Focus on doing the three things which will grow your RTO business every single day and then move on to the rest.
8. Work out your hourly rate (your value) and then ensure you're spending as much time as possible on activities which will help grow your RTO business (and equate to this high-value rate).
9. Spend time working out your financial numbers to ensure you cover how much it costs to keep the doors open (which includes paying yourself).
There's no point running a training program or delivering a product or service if, at the end of the day, you're not even paid $20 per hour, regardless of the amount shown on the invoice.