A pro football stadium game clock is really the ruler of the entire game. The clock is in charge. The clock decides when the game starts and when the game is over. The clock decides when a play ends and when it starts.
The game clock stops with a change of ball possession, an incomplete pass, a penalty, when a player goes out of bounds, an injury, when a player’s equipment becomes detached or damaged, a team scores a touchdown, field goal, or safety, or when a team calls a time-out. There are even special rules that apply during the final two minutes of a game and for overtime.
Like I said, the clock rules on the field and the sidelines. This is the way football is organized and it works.
As an independent business person, your game clock determines when your day starts and ends, when a time-out is needed, when your most productive hours are, and when you meet with clients. How can you organize your day so you reap the maximum benefits from your game clock?
1. Decide a general work schedule that allots time for business development, personal needs, family, and client time. Allow about 25% for daily personal needs time. Include a Plan B – a network of friends or business associates in case you have an emergency that calls you away from your business.
2. Prioritize your daily schedule by identifying high-leverage activities which will produce more clients and, as a result, more revenue. Tackling the most dreaded items on your to-do list and deadline-oriented items first will help tremendously. As Nike puts it, Just Do It. Prioritize your schedule according to your personal body clock.
3. Discover the power of outsourcing tasks that aren’t the best use of your time. I recently needed some data entry for 770 names, addresses, and phone numbers into an Excel spreadsheet. I went on Guru.com and requested a quote. For $25.00, a precious gal in Uruguay entered all the contact information accurately within a few days. Outsource anything that isn’t a high-leverage activity and for tasks that you just plain don’t like to do.
4. Take time daily to reduce stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Implement the 50/10 rule and work for 50 minutes and step away from your desk for ten minutes. I’ve found that weight training and/or walking first thing in the morning increases my energy level throughout the day. You’ll not only burn calories, you’ll sleep better.
Eat a healthy snack or meal every three hours to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and a steady stream of energy. Don’t forget to walk away from your desk and stretch often – hip flexors get very tight and your shoulder/back muscles become rounded if you continually sit in a chair for several hours a day. On rainy days, do a few sets of jumping jacks, or use a jump rope. Do some squats or stationary lunges and a few push-ups to get your blood pumping. Resistance bands are great for indoor resistance/strength training workouts. www.medstac.com has a full body workout printed right on the band – great for traveling too!
5. Establish your own holidays. Take time to relax your body and mind. Turn off your computer and other electronic devices – don’t worry, you won’t die. Take the day off here and there and go on a day trip. If you need creativity for your work, this will do wonders to re-charge your creative battery and install fresh, new ideas in your relaxed brain. Celebrate business anniversaries and milestones with a nice dinner or other treat.
6. Make your game clock work for you. Stay organized. Reserve a little time at the end of each day to organize your desk, put away papers, and make a prioritized to-do list for the next day.
Implementing these simple steps will help you feel more in control of your business and not like it’s controlling you. Michael Gerber discusses this in his wonderfully practical book, “The E-Myth Revisited.” Taking the time to put organizational systems in place will give you the freedom to enjoy your business and not feel like you’ve created another j-o-b for yourself.
Now, start the game clock…there’s a doozy of a game to get underway!
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