What do the following people have in common? 

Rachel Welch, Pam Grier, Lynda Carter (yes… Wonder Woman), Jane Kennedy (hey, I am an 80’s guy!), Mila Kunis, Sophia Vergara and Eva Mendes?  Ok, for the ladies…Ryan Gosling, Shemar Moore, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Wahlberg, and Enrique Iglesias? Okay, most of these were for my wife, Natalie! 

In a word…sexy! 

What do the following things have in common? 

Time management, scheduling, prioritization, and delegation. 

Would you call them sexy? 

“No?” …Not so fast!  They are all things you must do to get things done in your business. 

There is a line in the movie, “The Firm”, where Tom Cruise’s character is talking to Ed Harris, of the FBI, about bringing down the mob. Tom tells Ed that he has them dead to rights…not on murder, racketeering, or money laundering, but on invoice over-billing and tax fraud. Ed’s character says sarcastically, “Oh, that’s exciting.”  Tom’s response, 

It ain’t sexy, but it’s got teeth!” 

The list you made yesterday is not sexy. But when you finish all that you are facing, it will take a big bite out of that elephant we keep referring to! Effective time management and getting things done…not sexy, but it has teeth! 

Back to your list. 

You must schedule them. The day-by-day chart is just to give you a visual. A plan to drive your tactical approach. Use your “high” energy days to get the high value and deadline items completed. Use days, like a Friday, to get the fast and easy things done to end the week strong; and use Saturdays, to put a few hours in, between chores and family events. 

The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”   Stephen Covey  

 Next, we must review the finite possibilities of your daily schedule. For example, if you are using Monday to complete items with the most value, then you must look at an hour-by-hour schedule. Work your blocks of time around what you must do to keep revenue flowing with your normal activities but work in the required tasks in the Task Block. 

A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time.”  Annie Dillard 

This is a simple process to whittle down your big “to do” list, to… done. There is nothing like the satisfaction of having something that once loomed over your head, marked as complete. 

To start something is to flirt with success. To schedule it is to court success.  Finishing… 

It Ain’t Sexy…But It’s Got Teeth!