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The main reason for this Journal is accountability. I wanted to increase the number of eyes that were holding me to the goals I set for myself. I wanted to put myself out there and say: this is who I am and how I roll. By advocating a position, it assumes I’m doing it, and I’m a follower of myself. And that’s exactly what I wanted here.

So we’ve talked about the things that we’ll need to have with us 100% of the time. Now, for the stuff we want to have 90% of the time. This will get us into a state of preparedness…

1.) My checklist. I keep–printed on canary yellow card stock–my daily checklist. This keeps me organized. That’s worth a whole post or more, so more on that. Basically it’s 2 columns, half of an 8.5 X 11″ sheet. Has everything that an Ideal day is supposed to have in it. I check it off as I do it all.

2.) My notebook (old school) I normally have my laptop 60% of the time. The notebook is the critical thing that I gotta have with me. This has the guts of that…

This can be a franklin covey planner, a standard planner, or whatever, but I have mine divided into 7 sections, plus two pockets. (Seven mostly because I bought some cool clear tabs in 2004 that had the seven part bias). There is no rhyme or reason to this, really, and if your cell phone is a smart phone–mine isn’t–some of this–like contacts.

• Mission, Goals, Affirmations & Gratitudes. The first part of my book has my mission statement, and my current goals. I’ve put inspirational quotes (A day without adrenaline is a day wasted) in the past, and I’ve had stuff to do.
• Daily Pages: This is where I write my goals down. (Writing your goals down is powerful, and doing it daily helps. It has increased my discipline 1000X) I “load” it every Sunday, so I have a week’s worth at any given time. I can write my goals 5 times a day (on a front and back). I also have my daily recap page in there, so you can see where I’m going. My goals page is self explanatory.
• Schedule & Daily and Weekly Scorecards: There’s a portion of my schedule that never ever changes. There’s a portion that does. Keeping my schedule visible keeps me accountable. This gives me a sense of where I am for the week, what I’ve done, and where I need to be. I set any gap management stuff in here. I’m not as good as I’ve been.
• Master task list, Prayer List, Commitment list. This is simpler now that I’m giving all of my data, and lo, my very soul, to Google. But, my master task list is things that I’m working on, my prayer list is people I’m praying for, and my commitment list is things I’ve promised my self and my family. I write everything I can think of down because it helps me.
• Scripts and Dialogues: I do a lot of phone work, and having my scripts printed in a legible format for all of the stuff that I get helps me immeasurably. This is about 8 pages, double sided. I have: cold calling scripts, my 30 and 15 second commercials, etc. Works wonders.
• Visual Goals- When I was WAY more materialistic, I had pictures of stuff that I wanted on my wall. I’m not as stuff oriented (but more than I think is ideal). Having pictures of “stuff”, situations and tangible representations of your goal is absolutely helpful. A picture of an orderly office, or a happy family, or an outside scene…stimulates creativity, and helps bring to focus what yo want.
• My business Plan: I used to want to read this each day. When I was part of MFO, it was several pages. This has grown some, but I want to have a clear idea of what I want to do and when I want to do it.
• (In pocket of notebook) my contact phone list. I have 780 in act. An 8.5 X 11″ page, front and back holds 90 contacts, hpone numbers, etc. That’s 180 per, so less than 5 pages, and I’m almost never without this. This means that I can refer people on the spot, make a call if needed.
• In other pocket: My current leads for both of the businesses I’m doing. (Having them electronically helps, but having them physically helps more. I use again 1/2 of an 8.5 X 11 on card stock, blue is Chris Does loans, the Pink is the new thing I’m doing.
• Plenty of blank paper: Sometimes you need to write or draw out an idea. When the flux capacitor moment hits, you gotta be there.

3.) The Holy Bible- The more I read, the more I dig it. I carry an NIV around in my bag, and I’ll try and find a thin form factor NASB since I’m used to it. It can be kept in my notebook, and I’d prefer one that fit in the rings, but I’ll take what I can get. I may have move to one of those beefy Stephen Covey “monarch,” planners, and I may look to carry a man purse.

4.) The book I’m reading currently (currently the Little Black Book of Connections). If some of the thinkers that are ALREADY ahead of me average 2-3 books a week, who am i to do anything different? Man, the bar is high. This year, i’m at 22 books.

5.) Applications/Lead cards: I gotta be ready to take an application at any time, and having the guts of my process with me is important. This is now in a notebook pocket. I want to create one that fits in my jotter/little notebook.

6.) My voice recorder. Handy as heck, and I’m getting into using it more. When it makes sense, I’m going to check out more and better ones; and again, if there was a good smart phone that actually

7.) Blank Business Cards- For people that have forgotten.

8.) My usb key: which has my forms and processes so I can explain what I’m doing to people, how I can help. It’s got my firefox bookmarks & passwords. Rockin’.

9.) USB Cables Surprisingly handy for many people. I don’t carry all the ends, but I have the right cable 70% of the time that it’s neede, and that’s at least twice a month.

10.) Regular and precision screwdriver. (I have a 5/1 tool that’s light that fits into my bag.)

NOTICE:

I don’t need to carry my laptop everywhere. I have my contacts, a to do mechanism, and I’m with my laptop enough that it doesn’t matter that much. There is nothing I need to respond to o

THINGS I SHOULD CARRY, AND WILL.

1. My monthly budget.
2. Bills that are due.
3. Bank statement.
4. Checks.
5. My food plan for eating.
6. My workout plan for…working out.
7. Tylenol and Advil (for others, usually, but it’s thoughtful.).
8. $500 cash
9. “Thank You” note cards for writing a quick note.
10. Stamps. Same deal.
11. Envelope and my own letterhead.
12. Stuff I’ve accomplished list (an I did it file)
13. My updated and perfect resume.
14. My personal brochures.
15. Testimonials on DVD of how I’ve helped people.
16. Testimonial MP3s of how I helped people
17. Plastic page testimonials (with copies) saying what a good job I do.
18. My operations manual?
19. Notes for prepared talks in case a speaker is needed in one of the groups I’m in. (be prepared, be ridiculously prepared).
20. Processing Checklist.

For me, I’m OK as long as all of this “stuff” fits in a Monarch size or smaller Covey Planner, i’m doing OK–I’m traveling lightly enough, but prepared enough to be effective.

Soon: Things I should have in my car (get table to wherever I am).

Presumably Related Posts:

• Affirmations:
• A Ziploc Bag Can Make You a Million Bucks. (Be Prepared Part 1 of 2).
• World Class.