17 Jun Monday Morning Blues (Ugh!)
When retirement finally comes, I’m going to remember those Monday mornings where I often struggled to pull my torpid old bones from under the covers and into life to whatever job I was doing at the time.
Although I’m far from retirement now, I can say that I “do” remember them like they were a distant memory. It’s been 15 years since I’ve had to *do that* for someone else, and no day has been the same since.
The thing is, whilst the days may be different, Monday Mornings are still the same – and sometimes it’s just too damn hard to get moving. Know what I mean 🙂
So here’s what I’m doing this Monday morning; and what I do most Monday mornings to start the week with a bang; perhaps you’ll get a few take-a-ways from it.
I start the day with some light exercise. I rarely get into it too heavy in the mornings simply because this old body ain’t what it used to be – but I understand that a fit body builds a fit mind. The better shape my body is in, the better shape my mind is in and the better decisions I can make, products I can create and so on.
Next I head down to a favourite coffee shop with a copy of last week’s and this week’s “to-do” list.
I review last weeks’ checklist and see if anything needs to be carried over. Then slowly, between measured sips of my morning brew I start to design my action list for the coming five days.
At the top of my list is a place for “Consulting / Coaching Clients”. I have special place for these people as I am working with them directly and need to make sure that I’m on top of things for them, creating separate lists of ‘things for them to do’.
I also have a great CRM (I use Salesforce) which handles all my client notes follow ups, action plans, record keeping and so on. Next thing on my “list” is to OPEN my follow up action planner…
Sidebar: I’ve learnt that 90% of all potential business that a business could earn is LOST because they don’t FOLLOW-UP! To be successful in the running of any business, you need to determine where our “bread and butter” comes from. This is the income that we generate that pays our bills, our wages, and our staff. It’s the stuff that no matter what happens in the economy, we’re still going to have to pay it if we want to “keep our doors open”.
One of the things I do every morning is look at my bread and butter income. I want to be sure that I’m on top of it, that I’m aware of any holes in it, and can see the big picture at a moment’s notice.
Remember; right now I’m just writing my list. It’s Monday morning and I’ll spend and hour writing my list while planning the week to come in my mind.
Next I look for opportunities to make new connections. I understand that new relationships can often take months to develop. These are the cream on the jam scones and well worth looking after.
Next on my list is Communication. While it may seem similar to Connection, it’s not. It’s different because it’s not targeted to specific individuals. It’s planning for my newsletter, my YouTube channel, and my social media. It’s getting the message out in order to bring people ‘in’. This is also a vital part of the building of any business – but like all things in balance – I schedule time for it and get it done.
I see communication more as keeping in touch in a general way with “my people” – you, whoever you are reading this; with my affiliates, with my followers. It’s vitally important to any business to communicate with your people and hopefully have them communicate back with you. It’s always a good idea to ASK.
The last two areas of my own custom list are Creation and Content.
This is where I make plans for the creation of or the updating of my training programs. For me, THIS is the lifeblood of my business; it’s what I’ve been doing since day one. And while I firmly believe that we must server our paying customers first, I know that without new products to sell, my business lives under a glass ceiling. Future growth depends on future development.
Imagine how these ideas could benefit you and your business, even if you were to review them just once a month! Most people fail in business because they see only the now or the never. Others dream so large they forget that the rewards of tomorrow come from the efforts of today. You cannot have one without the other. It’s all about balance.
So when you hit the ground running next Monday morning, do it with expectation and anticipation of something great coming your way.
[quote]“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”[/quote]
Paul Barrs has been helping local Sunshine Coast Business succeed online since 2002. He has spoken locally, nationally and at international seminars as an authority on internet business strategy. Looking for better results online?
