I had watched “The Office” with my wife, and I was starting to settle in. I didn’t plan the time needed to work out and then get to toastmasters in the morning, so I was in some trouble. I got to 10pm without working out.

I decided that keeping the streak going was more important than getting to bed. I knew I’d be able to get one goal done if I did that. So I laced up my shoes, and got out there.

Man, talk about a beautiful night. I was so glad within about ten steps that I was running. I felt air at the perfect temperature hit my lungs. My legs pounded and turned over at good intervals. I felt fantastic.

I was running faster than I have in months. It felt absolutely perfect.

Until I slammed into the ground a quarter of a mile into the run. I scuffed my phone cut my hand on the concrete, banged my foot, and bruised my side.

I didn’t see someone’s driveway, and I smacked the ground and rolled. This was a quarter of a mile into the run, and my heart was racing.

My first thought: “Bummer, at least I tried.” I picked myself up, and my hand was bleeding.

And a little voice said, “You’re not hurt that bad.”

The moon was gorgeous. I had a choice–get up and run, and move, or make an excuse and stay fat.

This time I answered the bell. I got after it, and I had the best run I’ve had in two years. I got to feel like I was fit again. I got my streak of six that was one of my goals. I knew that I had a built in excuse. I went to run but I banged myself up. Nobody would blame me.

But me. I’d know that I let myself off the hook–that I wasn’t really going to get my goals done. So I ran, and I was rewarded for JUST AN OUNCE of discipline.

I think that this will be a moment in my life I look back on and remember, at the end when I’m back in shape. I think i’m gonna get knocked around a few more times, and that’s OK. Time to rock.

So every business–every job–has a ton of things that need to get done. There are emails to answer, there are planes to catch, bills to pay. And all of the distractions can eat you alive. There is no shortage of things competing for your time, energy and talent.

Getting ahead takes discipline, but just a tiny bit. There are nagging things that need to get done; for me it’s prospecting. Or, it’s getting to the gym. Or it’s having time with my wife and kid. Or it’s getting files processed. Or it’s…calling my clients back. Or it’s reading…

You get the gist.

Well, the answer is three things:

1. Run your life off of a schedule.
2. Have a minimum daily checklist (written down)
3. Be Ruthless About it.

1: Run your life off of a schedule…

Right now, i’m in the middle of designing an operations manual for my assistant, Mike. This is going to create a process that saves HOURS per file. It’s basically going to help us both win and both do what’s needed in our business. He’s the one in charge of managing and helping me get things done. Having this process will save us 3-4 hours per file. If I run 10 files a month, having one set of calls to make will save us a week’s work, and that means we can run more files and make more money.

The problem is that there is a mounting list of things to do each day. The phone rings, a client needs to have a good faith estimate because they have to or want to move asap. The boss wants something. There are NO LIMITS to what’s wanted/needed. One hour a day, uninterrupted, guilt free time is what it’s going to take for about 8 days to get my manual done. So, from now on, I’m “in an appointment” from 11-am to 12 am. Investing this time is going to save us time in the future, so we ow it to both ourselves AND our clients to do this.

The ringer goes off on my phone. I can even stick my headphones in and get the thing done.

Then there are the things that take time and effort, each week. Prospecting, or connecting with present and past clients is a REALLY profitable activity. With 10,000 interruptions though, it’s hard to do. The business needs me to connect with people, and to do it daily.

So, schedule it, and schedule it FIRST: 9-10:30 prospecting. That’s a big chunk of time, but that gets me done with the part of my business that’s gonna make me money. I’m done with it by 10:30, and I can get to my inbox at that time. (Note: my schedule says I need to be in the office by 8am, and I’m not sure about that). This is on my schedule every day. My assistant can say, “He’s in a meeting, but he’ll get back to you after 10:30.

Already, I’m likely to get more done than I’d do it if I answered every message in real time, followed every whim. Also, my clients know when I can touch base with them, and i can deliver high level, predictable service.

2.) Run your life off of a checklist. This is a bit trickier, but there are a ton of bases, both large (prospect for 1.5 hours) and small (walk the dog) that I need to do on a DAILY basis. What I did was got some yellow card stock, and created a “morning” checklist and an “evening” checklist. The morning checklist has

• “do affirmations,”
• “pray,”
• “up by 4:45.”
• Write goals.
• Read mission statement
• Read bible
• “drink water, take supplements.”
• Let dog out.

Etc. There are a BUNCH of tiny things that are part of my routine. I started this out by saying: what is the MOST PRODUCTIVE day I can have, the most EXHILARATING day I can have, and the most FUN i can have. It’s a boredom buster.

Yes, there is repetition, but repetition is no longer boring when it’s tied to the achievement of a goal. And when you DESIGN an ideal day based on a checklist…and a schedule, it becomes exciting.

Think like this: if you did what you were supposed to do every day, you’d have more of what you want, right? More freedom, more money, more self esteem, more fun…more passion, more adrenaline? So make a list of the things you should do. Divide it into two sections–morning and night. And go WILD. Put it on cardstock, grab a clipboard, carry it with you.

A word of caution: when you’re building the ideal day, make it manageable, and start small. Start your morning with no more than 10 things, and your evening with no more than 5 things. Once you get them done, add to it.

3.) Be Ruthless.

The Power of Focus for it’s title is sort of a meandering and verbose book. The one bit of information that it has that’s worth reading the whole thing is this:

Have a “No Exceptions” Policy.

When something goes on your schedule or checklist, don’t blow it off, deviate from it or delay it. Promise yourself that once it’s there, you’re gonna try out how it fits and works for no fewer than 3 weeks.

When you’re SCHEDULING something…make sure that you block out distractions. If you’re trying to get something written (since writing is the basis of all wealth), make it so that you do not have distractions. I throw my headphones in and I turn my phone off. My wife can instant message me if she needs to, but the rest of the time, it is me and the task I’ve assigned myself.

Having a schedule won’t help…unless you stick to it.

Having a checklist is useless….unless you DO it.

See you tomorrow.