Store hours smore hours… I can put them down but what good does it do if I can’t follow them?

Store hours can be tough, real tough. If you struggle don’t feel alone. So do I and at some time I think most of us do.

Getting a handle on time is tough enough but keeping a handle can at times be even tougher.

Many of you heard my calendar story when I returned from my wonderful holiday in Italy. I felt like I simply didn’t know where to begin… I mentioned it to one of my clients who very kindly said to me, “Sounds like a calendar issue Jillian.”

And it was…

I simply needed to take a STOP: (“Inner Game” by Timothy Gallwey)

Step back
Think
Organize my thoughts, and
Proceed

First I stepped back from everything I felt “had” to do. Then I thought a moment about what was important to me. Once I had some ideas of what was really important I could list and organize everything. Then I could move forward with my day comfortable that what I was accomplishing was all a part of my bigger picture.

In other words I was back again on target for my goals.

Sounds perfect doesn’t it.

But what happens once you get your calendar organized but you find yourself doing everything (anything!) but what’s on the calendar. The time allotted to make prospecting calls, or follow up calls or whatever you’ve allotted time for – well it seems to get used for almost anything else except what you intended.

Your calendar says this is the time you going to make follow up calls and instead you’re making the bed or training downline. You get into bed feeling frustrated and maybe even scared, this will never grow your business. But you seem unable to keep to the calendar. At the end of the day you realize…you’ve done it again.

What’s the answer…it’s really simple awareness. Choice. Not kidding yourself. And that’s not nearly as tough as it might seem. You may feel a bit foolish with this little exercise but if you want to crack through this procrastination stupor it will work.

The next time you realize you’re “off calendar” simply say the following:

I set my calendar up to do (follow up calls, prospecting calls etc) at this time, but no one can make me do these calls – no one – even though they are going to make me money. Instead I’m going to keep on doing (the dishes, making the bed, training the downline, organizing the files, answering email).

Now this tool only works if you’re willing to use it – much like everything else. But here’s the deal. Awareness. Simply awareness.

Try this and see how many times you can say, “I set my calendar up to make calls this afternoon, but no one can make me do them, I’m going to keep making the soup.”

I’ll bet something changes!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 8th, 2006 at 2:14 am and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.